EU condemns Trump’s intervention to overturn World Cup red card

The European bloc said it was wrong to reverse the one-match suspension of striker Folarin Balogun

The EU has condemned FIFA for suspending a one-match ban imposed on top US striker Folarin Balogun following an unprecedented intervention by US President Donald Trump.

Speaking to journalists on Monday, Trump confirmed that he asked the global football governing body to review a referee’s decision to issue a red card to Balogun during the US team’s 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday. The red card automatically disqualified Balogun from the next match in the knockout stage of the FIFA World Cup, jointly hosted by the US, Canada, and Mexico.

“As a fan, I too believe it was the wrong decision,” European Commissioner for Sport Glenn Micallef wrote on X, adding that decisions on these matters “belong to sporting bodies, not politicians.”

European Commission spokeswoman Eva Hrncirova called for “fair play and transparent competition.” European football governing body UEFA released a strongly worded statement, saying the swift reversal of Balogun’s red card “crossed a red line.”

“We express our disbelief at such an unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable decision,” UEFA said.

FIFA cancels US star’s red-card ban after reported Trump call

Trump defended his intervention, arguing that Balogun “didn’t do anything wrong” and describing the red card as “very unfair.”

“I asked for a review because I didn’t think it was a foul,” Trump said. “I thought it was two great athletes that crashed into each other and got entangled. That was not a guy punching somebody in the face or anything that, you know, would be different.”

FIFA President Gianni Infantino also defended the handling of Balogun’s case, insisting that the organization’s judicial bodies are independent.

According to media reports, Infantino has cultivated close ties with Trump. FIFA recently created and awarded its Peace Prize to the US president following his unsuccessful campaign to win the Nobel Peace Prize. Trump reportedly called Infantino to push for Balogun’s suspension to be revoked.

Good fortune did not help the US team, however, as it lost 4-1 to Belgium on Monday and was eliminated from the tournament. Shortly after the victory, the Belgian team’s official X account posted: “Overturn this.”