FIFA Reverses Folarin Balogun's Ban After Trump Intervened; The First World Cup Red Card Reversal Since 1962

United States President Donald Trump has upended the 2026 World Cup after personally intervening to have a red card against USA striker Folarin Balogun overturned — the first such reversal at football's showpiece tournament in over six decades.

Balogun had been expected to miss Monday's last-16 clash against Belgium after picking up a red card for an awkward challenge on Bosnia's Tarik Muharemovic, a decision USA head coach Mauricio Pochettino branded unjust.

But after the US President reportedly phoned FIFA President Gianni Infantino directly to demand a review, football's governing body suspended the ban, clearing the 25-year-old to play.

The astonishing U-turn has left Belgium and European football chiefs incensed, with UEFA branding the decision a breach that 'crossed a red line' just days before the two nations meet on the pitch. Belgium have since lodged a formal appeal with FIFA, which may be heard just hours before Monday's kick-off — meaning Balogun's participation could still be thrown back into doubt at the eleventh hour.

The Balogun Incident and FIFA's Justification

Balogun was shown the red card after stepping awkwardly on the ankle of Bosnia's Tarik Muharemovic during a video assistant referee (VAR) review, despite the Americans going on to win the match 2-0.

While officials deemed it a red-card offence, Pochettino argued otherwise, a view echoed by others who watched the incident and suggested Balogun was simply off-balance when the accidental contact occurred. Balogun himself admitted he was aware of the incident but felt a yellow card would have been the fairer outcome.

Trump's intervention came soon after, with the US President reportedly speaking directly to Infantino and urging him to revisit the call. Shortly afterwards, FIFA announced that Balogun's suspension would be paused for a year, clearing him to feature against Belgium.

FIFA pointed to Article 27 of its disciplinary code to justify the move, which allows its judicial body to fully or partially suspend an on-pitch disciplinary measure during a probationary period — the same clause that spared Cristiano Ronaldo just months earlier.

In November, the Portuguese superstar faced a standard three-match ban after receiving a straight red card for an elbow on a Republic of Ireland player during a qualifier. Ronaldo ultimately served just one game, with the remaining two matches converted to a one-year probation, a decision reportedly influenced by his otherwise clean disciplinary record.

The decision stunned observers across the sport, chief among them UEFA, the governing body of European football, of which Belgium is a member.

'Yesterday's decision to suspend for a probationary period of a year the implementation of the one-match automatic suspension following the red card issued to the player Folarin Balogun crossed a red line,' the organisation said in a statement.

'Football, like any other sport, relies on rules, which are the basis for fair, honest and transparent competition. Sometimes rules are open to interpretation. In this case, not,' it added.

First Red Card Reversal After Over 60 Years

The stunning reversal has raised eyebrows across the football world, clearly influenced by Trump's direct involvement. But history shows the Balogun case is not entirely without precedent.

A similar episode unfolded at the 1962 World Cup in Chile, when Brazilian great Mané Garrincha (Manuel Francisco dos Santos) was sent off during Brazil's 4-2 win over the hosts. At the time, a red card did not automatically trigger a suspension for the following match — instead, a disciplinary panel would review the evidence and decide whether the sanction was warranted.

Garrincha was spared and given only a warning, going on to help Brazil beat Czechoslovakia 3-1 in the final, securing the country's second consecutive World Cup title.

As for Balogun, controversy still surrounds the decision, with Belgium's appeal now looming over the fixture. Whether it changes anything remains to be seen, but for now, the 25-year-old is set to line up when the USA face Belgium on Monday.