07/05/26 04:15:00
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07/05 16:13 CDT FIFA lifts US player Balogun's red card suspension at World Cup
after Trump calls Infantino
FIFA lifts US player Balogun's red card suspension at World Cup after Trump
calls Infantino
By RONALD BLUM and MICHELLE L. PRICE
Associated Press
SEATTLE (AP) --- U.S. President Donald Trump intervened on behalf of American
star forward Folarin Balogun, whose suspension was lifted in a decision that
allows him to play in a World Cup match against Belgium on Monday.
Balogun, the American leader with three goals, received a red card for stepping
awkwardly on the right ankle of Tarik Muharemovic of Bosnia and Herzegovina in
a 2-0 round of 32 win on Wednesday. A red card triggers an automatic one-game
suspension.
FIFA announced Sunday that the suspension had been lifted, triggering praise
from Trump and outrage from Belgium's team.
Trump called FIFA president Gianni Infantino after the game asking FIFA review
the red card, according to a person familiar with the call who spoke on
condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to speak publicly
about the matter.
"Thank you to FIFA for doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice!"
Trump said in a statement on social media.
The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) said it was "astonished" and
Belgium coach Rudi Garcia mocked FIFA's action.
"I didn't know that in the offices of FIFA the 5th of July was the 1st of April
in Europe," Garcia said through a translator in an April Fools' Day comparison.
"The Belgian federation does not defend itself, it does not protect the
national team, She defends football in general, she defends her integrity, her
ethics. I think it's the first time in the history of the World Cup that there
is this kind of decision."
Garcia wouldn't respond when asked about a possible appeal to the Court of
Arbitration for Sport or whether he thought Trump impacted FIFA's action.
"In order to safeguard the legitimate rights of all participating teams and to
protect the fundamental principles of fair play in our sport, both at this FIFA
World Cup and at future editions of the tournament, the RBFA is investigating
all potential options," the Belgian federation said in a statement.
American players learned of Balogun's availability when social media posts
started popping up during the 10-minute bus ride Sunday from their hotel to
training at the University of Washington's Husky Soccer Stadium.
Balogun's red card had been one of the World Cup's most controversial and
consequential decisions.
"If you look at the foul, it was just zero intent at all," U.S. star Christian
Pulisic said. "I felt like there was much worse ones that went on this
tournament."
The U.S. Soccer Federation learned of FIFA's action in a message sent by FIFA
in its portal at 10:31 a.m. EDT.
"The implementation of the match suspension is suspended for a probationary
period of one year," FIFA announced. "If Folarin Balogun commits another
infringement of a similar nature and gravity during the probationary period,
the suspension shall be revoked and the sanction enforced without prejudice to
any additional sanction imposed for the new infringement."
Balogun's three goals included a go-ahead strike against Bosnia. He matched
Landon Donovan in 2010 for the second-most goals by an American in a World Cup,
behind only Bert Patenaude's four in the initial tournament in 1930.
A 25-year-old who plays for Monaco, Balogun scored 13 Ligue 1 goals last
season. He has 12 goals in 30 international appearances. He was born in
Brooklyn to Nigerian parents who were living in London and in 2023 opted to
change his national team affiliation from England, which he had represented at
the under-21 level.
"He strikes fear into a lot of defenders," Richards said.
The host U.S. is seeking to reach the quarterfinals for the first time since
2002. The Americans lost in the round of 16 to Ghana in 2010, Belgium in 2014
and the Netherlands in 2022. They failed to advance from the group stage in
2006 and didn't qualify for the 2018 tournament.
The USSF said it will not make Balogun available for comment Sunday, but
Balogun posted on social media a picture of himself in front of U.S. fans and
overlaid with music of Michael Jackson's pop single "Bad."
On Friday, Balogun said he thought a yellow card instead of red "would have
been fair."
FIFA said its decision relied on Article 27 of disciplinary committee rules.
"The judicial body may decide to fully or partially suspend the implementation
of a disciplinary measure. By suspending the implementation of the sanction,
the judicial body subjects the person sanctioned to a probationary period of
one to four years," the rule states.
FIFA in November deferred the final two games of a three-match ban for
Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo for a red card against Ireland in a World Cup
qualifier, allowing him to play at the start of the World Cup.
Argentine defender Nicols Otamendi and Ecuadoran midfielder Moiss Caicedo in
April had one-game bans deferred for red cards in qualifiers, also allowing
them to be available for World Cup openers.
Brazil's Garrincha was ejected from a 1962 semifinal but allowed to play in the
final against Chile after political pressure.
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Price reported from Washington, D.C.
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AP Soccer Writer James Robson and AP Sports Writers Andrew Destin and Jim
Vertuno contributed to this report.
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See more of AP's World Cup coverage here
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