By Sabiu Abdullahi
A report by the Associated Press has claimed that a senior official at the White House contacted FIFA president Gianni Infantino over the suspension handed to United States forward Folarin Balogun at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The development followed FIFA’s decision to suspend Balogun’s one-match ban for one year, a move that cleared the striker to feature in the United States’ round-of-16 clash against Belgium.
According to TheCable, which cited the Associated Press report, a person familiar with the matter disclosed that a top US government official reached out to Infantino concerning the disciplinary action.
However, the source did not reveal the identity of the official or when the call took place.
Balogun had received a red card in the 64th minute of the United States’ round-of-32 encounter against Bosnia and Herzegovina after a dangerous challenge. The striker was initially expected to miss the next match because of the suspension.
FIFA’s disciplinary committee later invoked Article 27 of its code and suspended the ban for one year. The decision made Balogun available for Tuesday’s encounter against Belgium. The forward has scored three goals in the tournament.
US President Donald Trump reacted to the decision on Truth Social. He thanked FIFA for reversing what he described as an unfair punishment against the player.
The decision has, however, sparked criticism from the Belgian Football Association, which expressed shock over FIFA’s action.
The federation said it is “astonished” by the FIFA ruling, adding that the decision contravenes the provisions of the FIFA World Cup 2026 competition regulations.
The Belgian FA added that it is examining “all potential options” to protect the integrity of the competition.
“Furthermore, and irrespective of the above, the decision is in direct contradiction with the provisions of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Competition Regulations, as set out in Article 10.5,” the statement read.
“‘If a player or team official is sent off as a result of a direct or indirect red card (second caution), they will automatically be suspended from their team’s subsequent match. In addition, further sanctions may be imposed.’
“The automatic nature of such a suspension was also explicitly reaffirmed in FIFA World Cup 2026 Circular No. 16, which was distributed to all participating member associations on 12 May 2026.”
