President Donald Trump on Sunday thanked football’s world governing body FIFA for suspending the red card issued to USA’s Folarin Balogun, paving the way for the striker to play in a last-16 World Cup showdown against Belgium. Balogun was set to miss the match on Monday after being shown a straight red card in the last-32 game against Bosnia-Herzegovina for stepping on the foot of defender Tarik Muharemovic as the co-hosts won 2-0.
FIFA said Sunday the ban will be suspended for a year.
“Thank you to FIFA for doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
Donald Trump on Folarin Balogun red card case: “Thank you to Fifa for doing what was right and reversing a great injustice”. pic.twitter.com/u2iOBk8LL4
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 5, 2026
Balogun has been key to the USA’s progress in the tournament and his absence against Belgium would have been a blow to the team.
FIFA said in a statement: “In line with article 27 of the FIFA disciplinary code, the implementation of the match suspension is suspended for a probationary period of one year.”
After the red card, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had called for the card to be rescinded.
Meanwhile, any fears that the Americans would fail to show up to their own party have been emphatically swept away as Mauricio Pochettino’s men have energised a nation where football has to fight for its place in the spotlight.
A 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina in the last 32 was the most-watched football match in US television history, averaging 33.5 million viewers across all networks.
The brand of high-energy, attacking football that made Pochettino one of the most sought after coaches in European football has been successfully implemented at international level.
Paraguay, who went on to eliminated Germany to reach the last 16, were blown away in a 4-1 victory that got the US off to a flying start.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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