Former President Donald Trump stated Monday that he contacted FIFA President Gianni Infantino to request a review of U.S. striker Folarin Balogun's red card suspension, which would have kept him from a key match.
"I asked for a review because I didn’t think it was a foul," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. "I didn’t think it was a foul. I thought it was two great athletes that crashed into each other and got entangled."
FIFA announced Sunday that Balogun's one-match ban, a standard consequence for a red card, would be suspended for up to one year. Trump indicated he did not believe Infantino made the decision alone, suggesting a committee was involved.
Balogun, who was born in Brooklyn and plays professionally for AS Monaco in France, received the red card from Brazilian referee Raphael Claus in the second half of the U.S. team's 2-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina on July 1.
Trump suggested that excluding top players would detract from the game, especially in anticipation of a match against a strong Belgian team. "If you would have taken him out, I think it would have really stained this incredible game," Trump said. "We got to have our best players, and they’ve got — Belgium’s got a great team, by the way. We have our best players, and they have to have their best."