The knives are out ahead of the United States Men’s National Team’s Round of 16 game against Belgium. American striker Folarin Balogun was on track to miss the game after being brandished a straight red card for a challenge on Bosnia and Herzegovina defender Tarik Muharemovic.
However, President Donald Trump reportedly intervened on Balogun and the USMNT’s behalf, and FIFA has now decided to “suspend” the red card, making the American star eligible to be fielded when Mauricio Pochettino’s side take on Belgium in Seattle tonight.
Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was none too pleased with the turn of events, drawing a clear line in the sand over political intervention at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Jurgen Klopp Rails Against President Donald Trump’s Decision to Interfere in Folarin Balogun’s Red Card
Speaking to Magenta TV, Klopp made it clear that he believes political personalities should stay far away from matters of the sport.
“If that really was the case, then that’s crazy,” Klopp said upon learning of President Trump’s intervention.
“Let’s just say: this is our game, not theirs. These two people, who both have no idea about football, should have nothing to do with that. That was a red card. There’s no two ways about it. We’re sorry for Balogun because he didn’t mean to do it. But that’s what the rules say.”
UEFA also took a similar stance, calling out FIFA’s preferential treatment of the United States striker.
“Yesterday’s decision to suspend for a probationary period of a year the implementation of the one-match automatic suspension following the red card issued to the player Folarin Balogun crossed a red line,” their statement read.
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“When the certainty of rules is no longer guaranteed by its guardians, the integrity of the game is at stake and the credibility of a competition is undermined. Equally, such decision creates a precedent in the ongoing tournament, where similar situations will now require equal treatment, to the detriment of the competition.”
While the brandishment of the red card itself was a matter of debate, the bending of rules to allow the USMNT’s top scorer to magically become available for a key showdown against Belgium has rubbed a score of football fans the wrong way.
However, it appears there is some precedent for this move, albeit one FIFA set recently.
Portugal superstar Cristiano Ronaldo’s three-game ban was amended at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after the final two games of his suspension were suspended for “a one-year probation period.”
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Both Portugal and the USA will be in action today, so all eyes will be on what goes down in those two matchups.
Ronaldo’s Portugal will kick things off by taking on Spain in Texas for a 3 pm ET kickoff, whereas Balogun and the United States will face off against Belgium in Seattle for an 8 pm kickoff.
