U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday he called FIFA president Gianni Infantino to review the red card given to United States men's national team striker Folarin Balogun in the team's match against Bosnia-Herzegovina in the round of 32 at the World Cup, calling it a "horrible" call.
Balogun, the star forward for the U.S. with three goals in the tournament, received a red card for stepping awkwardly on the right ankle of Tarik Muharemovic of Bosnia-Herzegovina on Wednesday, triggering an automatic one-game suspension.
FIFA on Sunday suspended Balogun's red card, making him available to face Belgium in the round-of-16 match later Monday and deferring his ban.
On Monday, FIFA reiterated that decision, ruling a request from the Belgium football federation (RBFA) for an explanation of Balogun's suspended red card as "inadmissible on the grounds that the RBFA is not a party to the proceedings and, as such, has no standing to appeal the decision."
FIFA also said on Monday in a second statement: "There are no provisions in the FIFA Disciplinary Code and the Regulations for the FIFA World Cup 26, that prohibit the FIFA Disciplinary Committee from exercising its discretion under Article 27 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code."
Balogun scored the opening goal for the U.S. in the 45th minute of its 2-0 win over Bosnia-Herzegovina on Wednesday. But he was then sent off in the 64th minute after a VAR review for what was deemed a bad challenge on defender Tarik Muharemovic.
"All I did was ask for a review. I didn't say, you have to do this," Trump said at a White House media briefing Monday. "This man is a smart, tough man, Gianni Infantino. He's a smart, tough man, and his stock has gone through the roof because the job he has done has been great. I feel like we have to have all the best players on the field."
Infantino also issued a statement Monday that said that he spoke with President Trump but that "FIFA's judicial bodies are independent" and that Infantino had no influence in the decision regarding Balogun.
Infantino said in a statement: "FIFA's judicial bodies are independent. They operate autonomously, apply the FIFA Disciplinary Code, and decide cases based on the applicable regulations and the specific facts before them. Their independence is essential to the credibility and integrity of football, and this must always be respected.
"Yes, I regularly discuss matters related to the FIFA World Cup with the President of the United States, and on this matter, I did receive a call from President Donald Trump, just as I receive calls from heads of state, government officials, football stakeholders and business executives from around the world on many different issues. During our conversation, I explained that there was an ongoing legal process involving FIFA's independent judicial bodies and that the case would be decided in due course by the competent bodies. That is how FIFA's system works, and it is a principle that I will always uphold.
"I read the decisions of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee when they are issued. Sometimes, I am surprised by them. Sometimes, I agree with them, and sometimes I disagree.
"What I always do, however, is respect those decisions and the autonomy of the bodies that make them. Whether we personally like a decision or not is irrelevant. Respect for independent institutions and the rule of law is what protects the integrity of our competitions and the credibility of FIFA at all times."
Trump said he didn't initially know what a red card was or what its consequences were. When he found out that it could keep Balogun out of Monday's match against Belgium, Trump said he felt compelled to intervene.
"That's very unfair," he said. "How do you penalize them for a game that hasn't been played?"
He said the red card, issued after a VAR review, was a "horrible" call, arguing that the slowed-down replay made it look worse than it was.
"I didn't think it was a foul," Trump said. "I thought it was two great athletes that crashed each other and got entangled.
"I saw the play, and I'm a person that loves sports ... that wasn't a foul. That wasn't even an infraction ... this referee, who is a little bit suspect if you check his past. He made a call that nobody could believe ... he's our best player, or one of our best players. And he gave him a red card. I didn't know what that meant.
"Yes, I asked for a review by FIFA. [Balogun] didn't do anything wrong, and he's our best player or one of our best players."
A statement from FIFA said they recognise Raphael Claus "as one of the world's leading professional referees and a valued member of Team One at the FIFA World Cup." It added: "Throughout his career, he has consistently demonstrated the highest standards of professionalism and integrity."
Pierluigi Collina, FIFA Chief Refereeing Officer and Chairman of the Referees Committee, said: "Raphael Claus is refereeing at his second FIFA World Cup having been with us in Qatar in 2022. He is an experienced and highly respected referee and we maintain full confidence in him as a trusted match official."
The Referees Committee of the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) also released a statement backing Claus.
A U.S. official told ABC News on Monday that Trump and Infantino spoke, and the president wanted to better understand the reason a red card was given and why there was a suspension.
The official said Trump was told that the appeals process is run by an independent board.
The official said: "The U.S. government provided additional evidence that was used in the appeal process. Ultimately, the correct and proper outcome was achieved."
FIFA's statutes prohibit political interference in matters relating to its national associations, but it has not yet commented on how it came to the decision to suspend Balogun's ban.
Belgium appealed the decision to overturn the ban, and UEFA said the decision "crossed a line."
The referee committee for CONMEBOL issued a statement on Monday backing the FIFA referee who issued Balogun's red card, Raphael Claus, recognizing his "professionalism, honesty, objectivity and professional suitability" for the role.
The U.S. is seeking to advance to its first World Cup quarterfinal appearance since 2002 with a win over Belgium on Monday.
The Americans lost in the round of 16 to Ghana in 2010, Belgium in 2014 and the Netherlands in 2022. They failed to advance from the group stage in 2006 and didn't qualify for the 2018 tournament.
A statement by U.S. Soccer said: "We accept the decision of the Disciplinary Committee and are pleased that Folarin Balogun is eligible to compete tomorrow.
"Our full attention is focused on the Round of 16 match against Belgium in Seattle, and we look forward to the continued support of our amazing fans."
In a statement on its website, FIFA said Sunday: "By operation of Article 27 FDC, the implementation of the automatic match suspension for USA player Folarin Balogun is suspended for a probationary period of one [1] year."
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.