FIFA president Gianni Infantino confirmed Monday that Donald Trump called him to discuss Folarin Balogun’s red card ahead of the controversial decision to suspend the striker’s suspension. But Infantino insists the call didn’t influence anything.
Balogun got a straight red during the U.S. win over Bosnia and Herzegovina in the World Cup round of 32. Replays showed him dragging his studs down Tarik Muharemovic’s calf before landing on and twisting the defender’s ankle. The initial punishment was a one-game ban, which would have kept him out of the round of 16 matchup against Belgium.
Then the FIFA Disciplinary Committee stepped in. They invoked Article 27 of the disciplinary code, which lets a judicial body suspend a disciplinary measure partially or fully. They hit Balogun with a one-year suspended ban instead. He played against Belgium.
The timing was everything. Trump called Infantino before the committee made its decision. And suddenly every conspiracy theory about political interference in the World Cup felt a little less like a theory.
Infantino released a statement basically saying: relax, the process is independent, I just take calls from world leaders sometimes.
“I have seen the public comments regarding the decision of the independent FIFA Disciplinary Committee related to the suspension of Folarin Balogun, and I would like to reiterate a fundamental principle of FIFA’s governance,” Infantino wrote. “FIFA’s judicial bodies are independent. They operate autonomously, apply the FIFA Disciplinary Code, and decide cases based on the applicable regulations and the specific facts before them.”
He acknowledged the Trump call happened. “Yes, 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, 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 told Trump the case was being handled by the independent bodies and would be decided in due course.
That explanation isn’t sitting well with everyone. Multiple European federations competing in the tournament have raised concerns. The Belgian FA is reportedly considering an appeal to reverse the decision. UEFA has publicly questioned the integrity of the competition.
(Belgium plays the U.S. in the round of 16 at 1 a.m. BST Tuesday. Balogun is available.)
Infantino tried to close the door on the controversy by insisting he respects committee decisions even when he disagrees with them. “What I always do, however, is respect those decisions and the autonomy of the bodies that make them. Whether we personally like a decision or not is irrelevant.”
Whether the call actually mattered is probably unknowable. But the optics? A sitting president calls the head of world soccer about a specific player’s suspension days before a knockout game. The suspension gets suspended. And the president’s country benefits directly. That’s not a conspiracy. That’s just how it looks.
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