Balogun, who was shown a red card in the 64th minute of the USA’s 2-0 Round of 32 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina, was initially set to miss the Round of 16 clash against Belgium. However, FIFA later announced that the implementation of his suspension had been halted under Article 27 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code.

In an official statement, FIFA said, “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.”

The decision followed Trump’s personal intervention, after he reportedly spoke with FIFA President Gianni Infantino and urged a review of the red card decision.

Speaking to reporters in a video shared by C-SPAN, Trump defended Balogun and questioned the referee’s call. “I spoke to Gianni, who’s highly respected. That wasn’t a foul, that wasn’t even an infraction; that was two guys running full speed that happened to crash into each other,” Trump said.

He further added, “These were two great athletes who got tangled up, and this referee, who is a little bit suspect if you check his past, gave him a red card. He didn’t do anything wrong. He’s one of our best players, a very vital player. So yes, I asked for a review by FIFA because I didn’t think it was a foul.”

The decision has come as a major boost for USA head coach Mauricio Pochettino, with Balogun emerging as one of the team’s standout performers. The 25-year-old striker has already netted three goals in the tournament and is expected to lead the line against Belgium in the high-stakes knockout fixture in Seattle.

However, FIFA’s move has drawn strong backlash, particularly from the Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA), which expressed shock and questioned the legal basis of the decision.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the RBFA said it was “astonished by FIFA’s decision to declare suspended United States player Folarin Balogun eligible to play in the USA-Belgium match.” The Belgian body argued that Article 66.4 of the same code clearly mandates an automatic suspension following a red card, adding that such rules had been consistently applied throughout the tournament.

The controversy has also sparked wider debate over political interference in sport. European Commission spokesperson Eva Hrncirova declined to directly comment on the ruling but stressed the importance of fairness and transparency.

“We respect the autonomy of sport, and we respect the right of sports federations to decide on the criteria under which participants compete,” she said, adding that decisions “should be made based on objective and transparent criteria.”

European Commissioner for Sport Glenn Micallef went a step further, openly criticising the decision. “As a fan, I too believe it was the wrong decision,” he wrote on X, warning that political influence could undermine the autonomy of sport. “Decisions on sporting matters belong to sporting bodies, not politicians.”

German football manager Jurgen Klopp also launched a scathing attack, criticising both Trump and Infantino. “These two people, who know nothing about football, should have absolutely nothing to do with this,” Klopp said, as reported by Marca.

“This is our sport, not theirs. It was a terrible, terrible decision that will harm the World Cup. I also feel sorry for the United States,” he added.

Meanwhile, US Senator Ted Cruz backed Trump’s intervention, thanking him for getting what he described as a “ridiculous” red card overturned. “On behalf of all Americans, thank you for getting rid of that ridiculous red card. It was spectacular,” Cruz said.