June 23, Kathmandu – US President Donald Trump has acknowledged that he requested FIFA to review the suspension imposed on American forward Folarin Balogun during the FIFA World Cup. The 25-year-old Balogun was set to miss the pre-quarterfinal match against Belgium after receiving a red card for a foul on defender Tarik Muharemović in the match against Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, FIFA made an unexpected decision to suspend the automatic one-match ban for 12 months, allowing him to be eligible to play against Belgium.
This decision has drawn sharp criticism from UEFA, the Belgian Football Association, and England’s head coach Thomas Tuchel. The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) expressed surprise at FIFA’s ruling and objected to Balogun participating in the match. Their appeal regarding the matter has already been dismissed. Speaking to reporters at the White House on Monday, President Trump admitted he spoke with FIFA President Gianni Infantino about the issue. “I didn’t think it was a foul, so I asked for a review. I didn’t tell them what to do. The disciplinary committee made the decision, and it was the right decision,” Trump said.
He added that had the suspension been upheld, it would have been a “big stain” on the tournament. Balogun, who has scored three goals so far in the World Cup, will now be available for the round-of-16 match against Belgium in Seattle. Meanwhile, UEFA stated that FIFA’s decision raises questions about the fairness and credibility of football.
