United States National Men’s Team head coach Mauricio Pochettino was handed a major dilemma after the Round of 32 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina that saw Folarin Balogun receive a straight red card for a challenge on defender Tarik Muharemovic.
A straight red *usually* leads to a one-game ban, but this time around, Balogun had the full weight of President Donald Trump’s White House behind him. Just like that, Balogun’s red card was suspended, leaving Pochettino free to field his top scorer against Belgium tonight.
While FIFA’s move to annul Balogun’s red card drew widespread criticism, President Trump explained how the move came about during a press conference with reporters on Monday.
President Donald Trump Explains Interference in Folarin Balogun’s Red Card
Per multiple reports over the weekend, President Trump called up FIFA boss Gianni Infantino to discuss what could be done about Balogun’s red card.
U.S. Soccer reportedly submitted a “body of work” to FIFA with a view to clearing Balogun’s name of rash conduct.
On Sunday, July 5, FIFA announced that they were suspending Balogun’s red card, but warned that if there was another infraction of similar gravity, his red card would be enforced “without prejudice.”
On Monday, July 6, ahead of the USMNT’s Round of 16 showdown against Belgium, President Trump explained why he stepped in to ensure his national team wouldn’t be left without their top scorer.
“I saw the play. That wasn’t a foul. That wasn’t even an infraction. That was two guys running full speed that happened to crash into each other. You can’t take your foot and properly place it on somebody else’s foot. These were two great athletes that got tangled up,” Trump said.
He then took a shot at the referee, questioning his conduct.
“This referee, who is a little bit suspect if you check his past. I don’t want to say that because I don’t like to create controversy. But very suspect. He made a call that nobody could believe.
“He [Balogun] didn’t do anything wrong. He’s our best player or one of our best players. And he gave him a red card. I didn’t know what that meant; I didn’t think it meant much. Then I started hearing that that means he can’t play in the next game.”
Trump on Balogun: “I saw the play, and I’m a person that loves sports … that wasn’t a foul. That wasn’t even an infraction … this referee, who is a little bit suspect if you check his past. He made a call that nobody could believe … he’s our best player, or one of our best… pic.twitter.com/YfIqb1JA4u
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 6, 2026
Trump then explained that it would have been “unfair” to take the USMNT’s best player out of this encounter with Belgium.
“When they take your best player, and they say you can’t play, that’s very unfair. It’s one thing to penalize somebody for the game. But how do you penalize them for a game that hasn’t been played yet? That’s very unfair; you can’t do that.”
Belgium has since decided to publicly ask FIFA for an explanation on why Balogun’s red card was suspended, noting: “While the RBFA (Royal Belgian Football Association) was merely seeking legitimate explanations, FIFA itself created an appeal and immediately ensured that it would be declared inadmissible.”
