2026 Trump–FIFA red card controversy
soccer officiating controversy
During the 2026 World Cup, FIFA suspended the implementation of a one-game suspension that US national team player Folarin Balogun had received after he was sent off in a round of 32 match victory against the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team for a foul on Tarik Muharemović. Balogun's suspension was delayed for a probationary period of one year under the Article 27 authority of the FIFA Disciplinary Code. United States president Donald Trump had directly called FIFA president Gianni Infantino asking him to review the red card decision. The decision allowed Balogun to participate in the United States' Round of 16 match against Belgium despite the red card remaining in effect. Belgium won the match 4–1, with Balogun playing almost the entire match. Weeks later, Trump announced that the U.S. government will back Infantino at the 2026 United Nations Secretary-General selection.
Background
Folarin Balogun entered the 2026 FIFA World Cup as the United States men's national soccer team's starting striker after being named to the nation's 26-player squad. On June 12 in his World Cup debut and the team's opening group stage match against Paraguay, Balogun scored twice in the 4–1 opener, being named Player of the Match. The game marked the first time an American had a multi-goal World Cup match in 96 years, since the 1930 FIFA World Cup in Uruguay, when Bert Patenaude scored the first hat-trick in World Cup history, coincidentally also against Paraguay. In the following game against Australia, he won a second back-to-back Player of the Match award as the United States secured the top spot in Group D.
Red card incident
Balogun scored the opening goal in the 2–0 win against Bosnia and Herzegovina national football team in the round of 32, matching Landon Donovan for the second-most goals scored by an American in a single FIFA World Cup, with three, trailing only Patenaude's four goals in 1930.
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