United States President Donald Trump has confirmed he contacted FIFA president Gianni Infantino after Folarin Balogun was sent off during the USMNT's World Cup victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, he was quick to insist he played no part in influencing the reversal of the red card.
Trump's Account of the Conversation
Trump stated: "All I did was ask for a review. I didn't say, 'You have to do this,'. [I] didn't think it was a foul. [It was] two guys running full speed that happened to crash into each other." He added: "I didn't tell him [Infantino] what to do, I can't tell him what to do," before noting that the independent committee "made the right decision."
Trump also turned his attention to the referee, describing him as a "little bit suspect" and urged journalists to "check his past."
Balogun's Suspension and Reversal
Trump admitted he had not been aware that Balogun's red card would result in him being ruled out of the quarter-final encounter against Belgium, set for early Tuesday morning. He said: "A very vital player. And he gave him a red card. I didn't know what that meant. I didn't think it meant much." He continued: "Then I started hearing that that means he can't play in the next game... I said, boy, that's big... That's - you know, it's one thing to penalize somebody for the game. But how do you penalize them for a game that hasn't been played yet? It's very unfair. You can't do that."
FIFA's independent panel subsequently examined the ruling and concluded it was wrong, meaning Balogun is now free to play, with the sanction suspended for 12 months.
Rooney's Strong Reaction
Several World Cup pundits reacted to the unprecedented decision, with Wayne Rooney particularly forthright. He said on the BBC: "I think it's an absolute disgrace, I really do." Rooney drew on his own experience: "I know it's UEFA but I got a three-game ban before Euro 2012. I was due to miss the three group games and I got told if I went over to Switzerland and did a training session with a bunch of kids, my third game would get taken off. I agreed to do it because I didn't want a three-game ban but I thought that was wrong."
Rooney added: "For this to be suspended, they either take the red card away which is probably the right decision and then he can play. But to suspend it for a year? I think it's an absolute disgrace. Infantino should be ashamed of this." He concluded: "The sportsmanship of this game is in question here. If I'm USA's opponent, I'd be absolutely fuming. It's wrong in every way. If you're an England player tonight or a Mexican player, and you get a red card, do you expect to be playing the next game? Where does it stop?"
Belgium's Outrage and Official Response
This remarkable chain of events has also infuriated Belgium, prompting the nation's football association to issue several statements. Their most recent communication denounced the ruling and confirmed they intend to contest it. Part of their statement read: "To be clear, as of this moment, the RBFA has still not received any decision or any explanation from FIFA regarding this matter. It therefore has no alternative but to challenge the player's eligibility for the upcoming match."
The statement continued: "Regardless of the sporting outcome of this match, the RBFA is deeply concerned by the course of events and will continue to fight in the coming hours, days and months in defence of the fundamental principles of ethics, fair competition, and the interests of football as a whole."
