Trump's expected intervention shakes FIFA
Donald Trump’s call to influence the Balogun case questions FIFA’s independence and unleashes an unprecedented crisis at the World Cup.
Even before the World Cup began, some of FIFA’s most influential figures feared that, sooner or later, Donald Trump would become involved in a way that was anything but appropriate and far removed from the codes of conduct governing world football. Behind the scenes, it was considered an achievement that he had barely been felt during the tournament’s first month. Then, suddenly, he intervened, triggering a genuine schism in world football, not because FIFA ultimately granted the request, but because it even entertained it and questioned whether Balogun should be sanctioned at all.
What is widely acknowledged is that the handling of the American player’s suspension, and particularly Trump’s phone call, has called the entire system into question. Until now, FIFA had never acted this way during a major tournament. It is true that Cristiano Ronaldo once had a two-match suspension deferred until the final World Cup qualifying fixture for a red card against Ireland, but that was nothing like what happened after Pochettino’s player was sent off against Bosnia.
From the outset, there were doubts over whether the challenge even warranted a red card, particularly when compared with similar incidents during the World Cup. What no one expected was for the Disciplinary Committee, acting under the banner of independence, to overturn the suspension and break with established World Cup precedent. “I read the decisions of FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee when they are issued. Sometimes they surprise me. Sometimes I agree with them, and sometimes I do not,” Infantino admitted.
The comparison making the rounds yesterday at the stadiums still hosting matches pointed directly to the Spanish league and the committee practices that have become increasingly common in LaLiga. The decision has also unsettled the refereeing contingent in the United States, who believe that the on-field referee’s decision, backed by VAR, is once again being second-guessed after the fact.
Moreover, it is the first time that the different confederations have openly challenged a decision made during a FIFA tournament. With UEFA leading the way, the backlash has been forceful. Although the Belgian Football Association is not formally a party to the case, it has been adversely affected by the ruling. That has made it difficult for many to understand why, if Trump can call FIFA and advocate for a particular outcome, the Belgian FA, which has a far more direct interest in the matter, has no avenue to challenge the decision.
What, according to the American president, was merely a matter whose full implications he did not fully understand has ended up shaking the foundations of football’s governance, exactly the kind of scenario those inside the World Cup’s inner workings had feared even before the tournament began. “I regularly discuss World Cup matters with the President of the United States, and in this case I received 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 about many different issues. During our conversation I explained that there was an ongoing legal process involving FIFA’s independent judicial bodies and that the case would be decided in due course by the competent bodies. That is how the FIFA system works, and it is a principle I will always defend.”
Objectively the funniest thing the ref could do at the US - Belgium game is immediately giving Balogun a red card.
— Gryffix 🇺🇦 🇵🇸 (@Gryffix) July 5, 2026
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