Did a Trump Phone Call Overturn World Cup Suspension?... European Football Community Reacts

Belgium Appeals to FIFA;
UEFA Criticizes Decision as "Overstepping the Red Line"

A report has emerged claiming that U.S. President Donald Trump intervened in the decision to suspend the ban on Folarin Balogun (AS Monaco), the U.S. national team striker who was sent off, sparking growing backlash across the European football community. Belgium, set to face host nation United States in the round of 16, has filed an official appeal with FIFA, while the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) has strongly criticized the move, calling it a "decision that undermines fairness."

U.S. President Donald Trump. The White House

Maxime Prévot, Belgium's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and a former football referee, stated on July 6 (local time), "If such a decision was made with just a single phone call, it violates the most basic rules of football." Belgium's Socialist Party also criticized both FIFA and the United States, saying, "If money and politics dictate the rules, the World Cup will lose its credibility."

European Parliament member Ivan Bruggstrete said, "Trump's intervention suddenly turned the sending-off into an unjust decision," adding, "FIFA must not give the impression that it has succumbed to political pressure." UEFA also issued a statement criticizing the ruling, saying, "The automatic suspension for at least one match following a sending-off cannot be lifted at the discretion of officials," and called it "an unprecedented and incomprehensible decision." UEFA emphasized, "Football is trusted because the same rules apply everywhere," and warned, "If the consistency of the rules collapses, both the fairness of the game and the credibility of the tournament will be undermined."

FIFA suspended Balogun's one-match ban for a year, just one day before the round of 16 match between the United States and Belgium. U.S. media outlets reported that President Trump called FIFA President Gianni Infantino to request a review of the disciplinary action.

FIFA explained that the disciplinary committee made the decision independently, but did not disclose whether a vote was held or details of the decision-making process.

According to the BBC, this is virtually the first time in World Cup history that a player has avoided a suspension after receiving a red card. In the 1962 World Cup in Chile, Brazil's Garrincha played in the final after being sent off, but there was no automatic suspension rule at that time.

The Royal Belgian Football Association has filed an appeal with the FIFA Appeal Committee, and the round of 16 match between the United States and Belgium will take place on July 7, European time.

Senior figures in football have also voiced criticism. Jürgen Klopp, who is set to become the next manager of the German national team, said, "If this was decided through an agreement between Trump and Infantino, it is madness," and added, "People with no understanding of football should not be involved in football administration."

Former FIFA President Sepp Blatter also criticized the move via social media, stating, "A red card cannot be canceled by a political phone call." President Infantino has long faced controversy over his close ties with President Trump and accusations of using FIFA for political purposes. Members of the European Parliament have called on the FIFA Ethics Committee to promptly investigate the matter.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.