Trump admits calling FIFA over a red card; the reversal for the US striker sparks an outcry

AI Summary

US President Donald Trump admitted calling FIFA President Gianni Infantino to request the review of a red card shown to US striker Folarin Balogun. FIFA’s unprecedented reversal of the suspension sparked strong protests from Belgium and UEFA.

US President Donald Trump admitted he had called FIFA President Gianni Infantino to ask that the red card shown to US striker Folarin Balogun be reviewed, after the body reversed the suspension that would have kept him out of the round-of-16 match against Belgium. The decision, unprecedented in more than six decades of World Cups, triggered a wave of criticism and formal protests from the Belgian federation and UEFA.