Trump confirmed that he personally asked FIFA to lift Balogun's ban for the 2026 World Cup

American President Donald Trump confirmed rumors that he personally asked the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) to overturn the suspension of U.S. national team forward Folarin Balogun at the 2026 World Cup.

This was reported by Sport24.ru.

"I asked them to review the incident because I didn't consider it a violation of the rules. I have no idea what the red card was given for," Trump stated during a meeting with American journalists at the White House.

Earlier, FIFA allowed Balogun to play for the U.S. national team against Belgium in the Round of 16 match at the 2026 World Cup, despite a red card in the previous game against Bosnia and Herzegovina (2-0).