FIFA World Cup: Folarin Balogun Speaks Out On Red Card Drama That Drew Donald Trump's Attention After USA Exit
USA forward Folarin Balogun opened up on FIFA's red-card reversal decision, which also prompted President Donald Trump to intervene.
- SportFit
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FIFA's decision to reverse Folarin Balogun's red card, which he received against Bosnia and Herzegovina, drew a lot of criticism. US President Donald Trump personally stepped in with FIFA with a call to the chief Gianni Infantino, resulting in an unprecedented reversal. Balogun featured against Belgium in the RO16 tie, but the home side got a 4-1 hammering.
Folarin Balogun Breaks Silence On Red Card Reversal Decision
The decision sent shockwaves, and the Belgian FA came up with a strong statement criticising FIFA. As per The Athletic, the Royal Belgian Football Association has lodged a formal appeal to FIFA but saw it rejected. FIFA has been the subject of criticism, and even UEFA hit out at them, citing the decision as “Unjustifiable.”
Now, Folarin Balogun broke the silence on the matter, stating he knew it was going to stir up a lot of controversy. In an interaction with CBS News, he said, “My initial reaction was I was happy to be back in the team, but when I kind of started to reflect, I knew it was going to cause a lot of controversy, and I could almost see within my teammates a bit of nerves, because it’s something that is so unique.
“But the closer we got to the game I tried to just focus as best as I could, but it was difficult. A lot of outside noise, and that’s hard to avoid.”
Gianni Infantino Under Pressure From EU Parliament
Dozens of European lawmakers are gathering support to initiate an investigation in the European Parliament into FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s role in the decision which prompted the red card reversal of U.S. striker Folarin Balogun. European Parliament lawmakers Barry Andrews, Lara Wolters and Niels Fuglsang said in a joint statement that FIFA's decision to “change the rule on red card suspensions mid-tournament is a disgrace and a perversion of justice.”
Published By : Anirban Sarkar
Published On: 15 July 2026 at 12:46 IST