Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter has reacted to the soccer organization’s decision to suspend the red card ban imposed on American World Cup star Folarin Balogun ahead of the team’s match against Belgium.
Blatter was twice banned by FIFA after a corruption investigation and remains suspended from any participation in the organization’s activities until 2027. Current FIFA president Gianni Infantino eventually replaced Blatter as head of the organization.
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FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter greets the USA team before their 2007 FIFA Women’s World Cup match against North Korea at Chengdu Sports Center Stadium. The match ended in a 2-2 draw. (ACPS/USA TODAY Sports)
Balogun received a red card in the United States’ win over Bosnia and Herzegovina for stepping on a defender’s ankle while trying to recover a ball. The card was issued after a VAR review. Amid the uproar, a source told PK Press Club that President Donald Trump called Infantino and asked FIFA to review the play. On Sunday, the turnaround was announced.
“Red cards are not overturned by political phone calls,” Blatter wrote on
“Football must never become a playground for political power.”
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Folarin Balogun of the United States celebrates after scoring the USMNT’s third goal during the first half of the Group D group stage match against Paraguay on June 12, 2026 in Inglewood, California. (Kirby Lee/Imagn Images)
Trump, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnik and White House task force leader Andrew Giuliani assembled a team of lawyers outside the White House to challenge the use of slow-motion replay to give Balogun the red card, according to OutKick founder and PK Press Club contributor Clay Travis.
It is unclear to what extent FIFA has taken this approach into account.
Belgium reportedly won the right to appeal the decision and asked FIFA for a full explanation as to why the suspension was postponed.
The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) said it was “surprised” and Belgian coach Rudi Garcia mocked FIFA’s decision.
“I didn’t know that in the FIFA offices July 5 was April first in Europe,” Garcia said through a translator. “The Belgian federation does not defend itself, it does not protect the national team. It defends football in general, it defends its integrity, its ethics. I think it is the first time in the history of the World Cup that there is this kind of decision.”
American Folarin Balogun is consoled by teammates Giovanni Reyna and Timothy Weah after receiving a red card during the 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 16 match against Bosnia and Herzegovina on July 1, 2026 in Santa Clara, California. (Carlos Barria/Reuters via Imagn Images)
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UEFA also said FIFA’s decision “crossed a red line.”
