US President Donald Trump thanked football's world governing body FIFA for suspending Falorin Balogun's ban that allows the US star striker to play against Belgium this week.
Donald Trump lobbied FIFA to lift the US striker Folarin Balogun’s one-game ban for a red card received in the team’s win over Bosnia and Herzegovina, preceding Sunday’s stunning announcement that he would be available for the cohosts’ last-16 clash against Belgium in Seattle on Monday night.
Sources have told The Guardian that Trump made three calls to FIFA, starting from Wednesday, to ensure that the change was made.
Trump thank FIFA for suspending
The US president on Sunday, July 6, thanked football’s world governing body for suspending the red card.
Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, “Thank you to Fifa for doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice!”
FIFA explanation on suspending Balogun's ban
Fifa’s disciplinary committee said it made the decision in line with Article 27 of the Fifa disciplinary code, which allows it to suspend red cards so long as the discipline is not related to match-fixing.
Balogun will be on a probationary period of one year, meaning the red card technically still remains on his record.
If, during that year, Balogun commits what the code refers to as “another infringement of a similar nature and gravity”, the striker will serve his one-game ban.
Fifa previously used Article 27 to clear Cristiano Ronaldo to start the opening games of Portugal’s World Cup after his red card against the Republic of Ireland.
Belgian FA slams 'astonishing' decision
The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) said in a statement that it was “astonished” at the decision.
The RBFA later pointed out that the suspension of the ban ran in contradiction to Fifa statutes governing the punishment for red cards, which carry a one-game ban “automatically”. It also said it was “investigating all potential options”.
Manager Rudi Garcia likened Fifa’s decision to an April Fools’ Day joke.
Meanwhile, US Soccer spokesperson said on Sunday that the federation was engaged in the process that ended up clearing Balogun for the last-16 game.
