Sports · ArchiveFIFA Overturns Balogun Red Card After Trump’s 3 Calls to Infantino: First Reversal in 64 YearsAired July 7, 2026 at 4:59 AM UTCWritten September 7, 2026 at 9:22 PM UTCRead the write-upThis storyTranscript · LOADING0:00While NATO leaders debate the rules of0:02war in Ankara, another set of rules is0:04being tested half a world away on a0:07soccer field in California. [music]0:09And the referee who made the biggest0:11call of the match was not wearing a0:12whistle. FIFA has overturned a red card0:15suspension for American striker Folarin0:17Balogun, the first time a World Cup red0:20card has been reversed [music] in 640:22years.0:23The decision came after President Trump0:25made three phone calls to FIFA President0:28Gianni Infantino.0:30>> [music]0:31>> And the global backlash now threatens0:33the credibility of the tournament0:35itself. Here's what happened on the0:37field. In the 61st minute of the United0:39[music] States round of 32 match against0:41Bosnia and Herzegovina, Balogun, who had0:44already scored the opening goal,0:46contested a ball along the sideline and0:48[music] landed on the back of Bosnian0:49defender Tarik Muharemovic's leg.0:52Brazilian referee Raphael Claus0:54initially played [music] on, but the VAR0:56instructed him to review the play.0:58After watching the slow-motion replay,1:00>> [music]1:01>> Claus issued a straight red card for1:03serious foul play.1:05The United States played the final 301:07minutes with 10 [music] men and still1:09won 2-0. Under FIFA's disciplinary code,1:13Article 66.4, [music]1:15a direct red card carries an automatic1:17one-match suspension with no appeal.1:19>> [music]1:20>> US Soccer confirmed the sanction could1:21not be challenged. Balogun was set to1:24miss the round [music] of 16 match1:25against Belgium. President of the United1:28States got involved. On Sunday, July 5,1:31FIFA announced it was lifting Balogun's1:33suspension using Article 27 of its1:36disciplinary code, [music] a provision1:38that allows the judicial committee to1:39place a sanctioned player on probation.1:42The red card [music] stays on his record1:44for 1 year. If he commits a similar1:46infraction in that period, the ban1:47returns.1:48>> [music]1:49>> President Trump confirmed he spoke1:51directly to Infantino and asked for a1:53review.1:55He made three calls [music]1:56starting the day of the match. A White1:59House FIFA task force led by Andrew2:01Giuliani and including Commerce2:03Secretary Howard Lutnick2:05>> [music]2:05>> analyzed the red card process on the2:07flight back to Washington, consulted2:09lawyers, and briefed the president2:10before those calls went through.2:13Lawyers who had previously worked for2:14Trump were engaged by US Soccer to2:17challenge FIFA's regulations. Trump2:20posted that [music] on Truth Social2:22after the reversal.2:24Infantino maintains the judicial bodies2:26acted independently.2:28But the reaction from the soccer world2:30has been withering. Jürgen Klopp put it2:33bluntly. And he was not alone.2:39UEFA, European soccer's governing body,2:42called [music] the decision2:43unprecedented, incomprehensible, and2:45unjustifiable, and said it crossed a red2:47line. The Royal Belgian Football2:49Association, [music]2:50whose team now faces a Balogun-led2:52American squad, informed US Soccer it2:55disputes his eligibility and reserved2:57[music] the right to pursue further2:58legal options. Former FIFA President3:01Sepp Blatter weighed in saying [music]3:03red cards are not overturned by3:05political phone calls. They are3:07overturned by rules, [music] evidence,3:09and independent bodies. The European3:12Commissioner for Sport warned against3:14the weaponization of sport for political3:16purposes. In the United Kingdom, Labour3:18MP Clive Betts said Infantino should3:21resign or FIFA has to sack him. [music]3:24All of this is unfolding against the3:26backdrop of a well-documented friendship3:28[music] between Trump and Infantino.3:31Infantino awarded Trump FIFA's inaugural3:34[music] peace prize in December 2025,3:36visited Mar-a-Lago, attended Trump's3:38[music] inauguration, and has described3:41the president as his great friend. A3:43human rights group, Fair Square, had3:45already filed an ethics [music]3:46complaint against Infantino for breaches3:48of political neutrality rules. Folarin3:51Balogun will now suit up against3:53Belgium. [music]3:54The rules say he can play.3:56But, the question that will hang over3:57that match3:58>> [music]3:58>> and over this entire World Cup is4:01whether the rules still mean what they4:02are supposed to mean4:04or whether the [music] right phone call4:05can rewrite them.Explore with HeyDex