Video: “How do you penalise him for game that hasn’t been played?” Trump slams Balogun’s red card
United States President Donald Trump
Abdullateef Fowewe
United States President Donald Trump has criticised the red card shown to U.S. Men’s National Team striker Folarin Balogun during the 2026 World Cup round-of-32 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina, calling the automatic suspension that followed “very unfair” and saying he asked FIFA to review the decision.
In an interview, Trump said he initially did not understand the consequences of the dismissal but was soon informed it carried an automatic one-game ban.
“Balogun is our best player. He got a red card. I didn’t know what that meant, but then I heard that it means you cannot play in the next game.
“That’s very unfair. How do you penalise him for a game that hasn’t been played yet? I asked for a review by FIFA,” Trump said.
The controversy began in the 64th minute of the United States’ 2-0 victory, when Balogun who had already scored —was shown a straight red for serious foul play after his studs landed on Bosnia defender Tarik Muharemović’s ankle following an awkward collision.
No foul was called on the field initially, but VAR intervened and the referee, Raphael Claus, issued the red after a pitchside review.
Under FIFA disciplinary rules, the red card automatically triggered a one-match suspension, which would have sidelined Balogun for the U.S. round-of-16 fixture against Belgium.
U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino and Balogun himself had described the incident as an unfortunate, unintended clash that many felt merited a yellow card rather than an immediate sending-off.
Trump’s intervention was swift and direct: he phoned FIFA President Gianni Infantino to request reconsideration, a move he later confirmed publicly and praised after the governing body acted.
FIFA’s disciplinary committee subsequently suspended the ban, placing Balogun on a one-year probation instead and clearing him to play against Belgium, an uncommon reversal for a World Cup red card.
Trump celebrated the outcome on his Truth Social platform, calling FIFA’s action a reversal of a “great injustice” and reiterating that Balogun is the U.S.’s “best player.”
The episode has since prompted debate over VAR protocols, the consistency of on-field officiating, and outside influence on disciplinary processes at football’s highest level.
