United States President Donald Trump has confirmed that he personally asked FIFA to review the one-match suspension handed to American striker Folarin Balogun during the FIFA World Cup, saying the governing body ultimately made the right decision.
Balogun, the United States’ leading scorer at the tournament, had been due to miss his country’s Round of 16 clash against Belgium after receiving a straight red card in the previous match.
However, FIFA suspended the automatic one-match ban for 12 months, making the 25-year-old forward eligible for selection against Belgium.
Speaking at the White House on Monday, President Trump revealed that he sought a review of the disciplinary decision because he did not believe Balogun had committed a foul deserving of a suspension.
“I didn’t think it was a foul,” Trump said, describing the incident as an accidental collision between two players.
“I thought it was two great athletes who crashed into each other and got entangled,” he stated.
Trump argued that enforcing the suspension would have cast a shadow over the tournament, particularly given Balogun’s importance to the United States team.
“I think it would have left a big stain,” he said.
While acknowledging that he could not direct FIFA’s decisions, Trump suggested the disciplinary commission had reached the correct outcome by lifting the suspension.
“I can’t tell them what to do. I don’t believe FIFA made the decision; I believe it was the commission that made the decision. And it was the right decision,” he added.
Balogun subsequently featured in the United States’ knockout match against Belgium after the suspension was put on hold.
