Gianni Infantino insists FIFA ‘Independent’ after Donald Trump's call to lift Balogun ban
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Gianni Infantino insists FIFA ‘Independent’ after Donald Trump's call to lift Balogun ban")
Infantino insists FIFA ‘Independent’ after Trump call to lift Balogun ban Photograph: (AFP)
Gianni Infantino defends FIFA’s independence following backlash over a bombshell decision to lift US star Folarin Balogun’s red-card suspension after a call from Donald Trump.
FIFA chief Gianni Infantino insisted on Monday (Jul 6) that the governing body’s disciplinary process was independent amid widespread criticism of the bombshell decision to lift US World Cup star Folarin Balogun’s suspension following Donald Trump’s intervention. After US President Trump admitted contacting Infantino about reviewing Balogun’s red-card foul, Infantino confirmed that FIFA’s judicial bodies took the decision and that the case would be decided in due course.
Balogun’s red-card fiasco has become the headline worldwide, with Trump and Infantino providing statements hours before their Round of 16 match against Belgium at the FIFA World Cup 2026.
"I explained that there was an ongoing legal process involving FIFA's independent judicial bodies and that the case would be decided in due course by the competent bodies," Infantino said in a statement.
US President Trump also confirmed in the press briefing that he called Infantino, with whom he has built a close relationship, "because I didn't think it was a foul".
"All I did was ask for a review; I didn't say you have to do this," Trump added.
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Infantino insists FIFA ‘Independent’ after Trump call to lift Balogun ban Photograph: (AFP)
Meanwhile, Balogun received a straight red card following a video review for stepping on a Bosnia-Herzegovina defender's foot in the round-of-32 match that the US won 2-0. Under FIFA rules, a straight red card automatically triggers a one-game ban. However, FIFA said the ban will now be suspended for a year, in a decision that sparked widespread condemnation from the football world.
Belgium coach Rudi Garcia said he thought it was an April Fool's joke, while Norway's coach Stale Solbakken said it was "a big mistake" by FIFA.
Infantino added that he often discussed events at the World Cup with Trump.
"I regularly discuss matters related to the FIFA World Cup with the President of the United States, and on this matter, I did receive a call from President Donald Trump," he said. "Just as I receive calls from heads of state, government officials, football stakeholders and business executives from around the world on many different issues."
Infantino said he always read the decisions handed down and "sometimes I am surprised by them. Sometimes I agree with them, and sometimes I disagree".
“What I always do, however, is respect those decisions and the autonomy of the bodies that make them," he said.
(With inputs from AFP)
