Published On 7/6/2026
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Last update: 20:14 (Mecca time)
Folarin Balogun was not a candidate to be one of the headliners of the 2026 World Cup, despite scoring 19 goals in 43 matches with Monaco last season, but his expulsion during the United States’ match against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the round of 16, after a strong tackle on Tarik Maharemovic’s ankle, changed everything.
Although the player received a direct red card during the match won by the American team (2-0), FIFA announced on Sunday that the implementation of the penalty would be suspended, so that Balogun could participate in the match against Belgium in the round of 16, a decision that raised a wide wave of questions.
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He moved from the White House from the first moments
The American newspaper Politico, which specializes in covering behind the scenes of government institutions and bodies in the United States, revealed that moves to cancel the penalty began immediately after the final whistle of the match.
According to the report, Andrew Giuliani, Chairman of the World Cup Organizing Committee in the United States and son of former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, informed President Donald Trump of the case, after which a series of communications and actions began at the highest level.
The newspaper explained that Trump personally contacted FIFA President Gianni Infantino to inquire about the punishment imposed on the US national team striker, while Giuliani, in coordination with officials in the US Football Association, led an intense campaign to overturn the suspension.
Legal and diplomatic pressure extended to Zurich
According to the report, US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick entered the crisis line, taking advantage of his strong relations with FIFA leadership, especially after the private dinner he had with Infantino in early June.
Politico confirmed that the red card “launched four days of coordinated pressure, legal maneuvers and diplomatic efforts that extended from the Oval Office to Zurich,” referring to the headquarters of FIFA. Giuliani and Lutnick also offered the US Soccer Federation the assistance of their lawyers to support the appeal file before the competent authorities.
Review the history of Brazilian rule
The moves were not limited to the legal aspect, as the report indicated that Andrew Giuliani, along with Scott Goodwin, a hedge fund manager who contributed to financing part of the salary of US national team coach Mauricio Pochettino, researched the arbitration record of Brazilian referee Rafael Klaus, who flashed the red card to Balogun.
Politico added that reports and articles dealing with controversial arbitration cases to which Klaus had previously been linked were circulated among US government officials during the preparation of the appeal file, in an attempt to strengthen the legal arguments presented to FIFA.
The ambiguous Article 27
On the other hand, the newspaper reported that the legal department within FIFA, led by Legal Affairs Officer Emilio Garcia, briefed Infantino on the available procedural options. Ultimately, the International Federation activated Article 27 of its disciplinary regulations, an article described as ambiguous, to justify suspending the implementation of the penalty.
Despite the criticism, FIFA stressed that the decision was issued by the Disciplinary Committee completely independently, without publishing an official report clarifying the legal foundations on which it was based.
German criticism: Politics has no place in football
The case sparked political reactions outside the United States, as German Minister of State for Sports, Christiane Schinderlein, said in statements to Agence France-Presse that “politics has no place on the football field.”
She added that “the referees’ decisions are a purely sporting matter,” stressing that the German government “respects the independence of sports,” in a position that was considered an indirect criticism of the interventions that preceded the decision to lift the suspension of the American striker.
These statements come at a time when the American national team is preparing to face its Belgian counterpart in the World Cup final in Seattle, while controversy continues regarding the extent of the independence of decisions within FIFA and the possibility of them being affected by political pressures.
Infantino confirms the independence of the sports judiciary
In a step aimed at ending the state of widespread controversy following the decision to suspend the punishment imposed on American striker Folarin Balogun, FIFA President Gianni Infantino confirmed, through the federation’s official account on the X platform, that the judicial bodies within FIFA enjoy complete independence and are not subject to any external influences or pressures in deciding disciplinary cases.
Infantino revealed that he received a phone call from US President Donald Trump to inquire about the details of the case, explaining that such calls fall within the framework of periodic discussions with heads of state and officials about global football files. However, he stressed at the same time that he clearly informed Trump that the file is in the hands of independent judicial authorities that apply disciplinary regulations exclusively based on the material facts, away from any interference from the executive side of the federation.
