Topline
President Donald Trump spoke with FIFA president Gianni Infantino over the phone before the international soccer organization decided to suspend a red card against U.S. men’s national team striker Folarin Balogun, the New York Times reported on Sunday—allowing the star goal scorer to play in the upcoming match against Belgium in the World Cup’s Round of 16.
Trump reportedly spoke with FIFA president Gianni Infantino before the organization suspended a U.S. player’s red card.
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Key Facts
Balogun, the U.S. men’s team’s leading goal scorer, was expected to sit out Monday’s World Cup match against Belgium after he received a red card during their most recent win against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
But in a surprise move on Sunday, FIFA’s disciplinary committee said Balogun would be allowed to play as it suspended the implementation of the red card for a one-year probationary period.
If the U.S. striker commits another incident on the pitch “of a similar nature and gravity,” he will face the full suspension, FIFA said in a statement on Sunday.
Hours after the decision was announced, the Times reported Trump previously spoke with Infantino by phone and asked him to review the red card, citing three people familiar with the conversation.
FIFA did not return a request for comment from Forbes.
Tangent
Infantino previously awarded Trump with the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize—an unusual award after Trump spent months complaining about failing to be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. The prize, and Infantino’s reported close relationship with the U.S. president, has brought about scrutiny from ethics watchdogs in the European Union, including from members of the European Parliament who demanded answers about the decision last week.
Key Background
Balogun was handed the red card after what officials determined was a bad challenge when he dragged his cleats against Bosnian defender Tarik Muharemovic. Balogun and other commentators called the decision disappointing at the time. The U.S. men’s national team heard about the decision while on the team bus to a training, The Athletic reported, and in a separate statement the national team said it would “accept” FIFA’s decision. Balogun’s response to the decision was simply “lit,” defender Chris Richards told the outlet.