Folarin Balogun will suit up for the United States men’s national team on Monday night against Belgium in the Round of 16. That wasn’t the case a few hours earlier, when his second-half red card looked like it would sideline the team’s most dangerous attacker.
The red card got reversed on appeal. And the White House just confirmed it made a call to help make that happen.
President Donald Trump spoke directly with FIFA president Gianni Infantino to ask why Balogun was given a red card in the first place, a U.S. official told NBC News. The administration then sent over additional evidence that was used in the appeal process.
“Trump spoke with Infantino because he ‘wanted to better understand’ why a red card was given,” NBC White House correspondent Monica Alba wrote on X. “The U.S. government provided additional evidence that was used in the appeal process. Ultimately, the correct and proper outcome was achieved.”
The New York Times first confirmed that Trump and the White House reached out to FIFA about the incident.
What actually happened on the field
Balogun was sent off late in the second half after a challenge that looked borderline at best. Replays showed minimal contact with the opposing player, and the referee’s decision drew immediate protests from the U.S. bench. The red card meant an automatic one-match ban if upheld, which would have forced Balogun to sit out the knockout match against Belgium.
The U.S. Soccer federation filed an appeal almost immediately, arguing the referee made a clear error. FIFA’s disciplinary panel reviewed the footage and the additional evidence provided by U.S. officials, and ultimately overturned the suspension.
It’s extremely rare for a national government to get involved in a FIFA disciplinary matter at this level. But the White House’s intervention suggests how high the stakes are for this game. The USMNT has not reached the quarterfinals of a World Cup in over two decades. Losing your best striker to a questionable red card would have been a massive blow.
FIFA has not commented publicly on the nature of the government’s involvement or what exactly that “additional evidence” consisted of. The timeline suggests the appeal was already moving through normal channels before the White House called.
Balogun returned to full training on Sunday and is expected to start on Monday night. U.S. fans let out a collective exhale. The team’s knockout fate now rests on whether the 22-year-old can deliver with the extra help he got from the highest possible office.
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