U.S. President Donald Trump intervened on behalf of American star forward Folarin Balogun, whose suspension was lifted by FIFA, allowing him to play in a World Cup match against Belgium on Monday. Balogun, who leads the U.S. with three goals in the tournament, had received a red card for an awkward step on the ankle of Bosnia and Herzegovina's Tarik Muharemović during a 2-0 round of 32 victory on Wednesday, triggering an automatic one-game suspension.

FIFA announced Sunday that the suspension had been lifted, a decision that drew praise from Trump and criticism from Belgium's team. Trump contacted FIFA President Gianni Infantino after the game to request a review of the red card, according to a person familiar with the conversation.

"Thank you to FIFA for doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice!" Trump stated on social media. The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) expressed astonishment, and Belgium coach Rudi Garcia questioned FIFA's action, comparing it to an April Fools' Day prank. "I didn’t know that in the offices of FIFA the 5th of July was the 1st of April in Europe," Garcia said. "The Belgian federation does not defend itself, it does not protect the national team, She defends football in general, she defends her integrity, her ethics. I think it’s the first time in the history of the World Cup that there is this kind of decision."

The RBFA stated it is investigating all potential options to safeguard the rights of participating teams and uphold fair play. American players learned of Balogun's availability through social media posts during their bus ride to training.

Balogun's red card had been a controversial decision. U.S. player Christian Pulisic commented, "If you look at the foul, it was just zero intent at all. I felt like there were much worse ones that went on this tournament."

FIFA's decision stated that the match suspension is suspended for a probationary period of one year. If Balogun commits another similar infringement during this period, the suspension will be enforced. Balogun's three goals in the tournament tie him with Landon Donovan for the second-most goals by an American in a single World Cup.

Balogun, 25, plays for Monaco and scored 13 Ligue 1 goals last season. He previously represented England at the under-21 level before opting to play for the U.S. national team in 2023. The U.S. team is aiming to reach the quarterfinals for the first time since 2002.

Balogun posted on social media a picture of himself in front of U.S. fans, overlaid with Michael Jackson's song "Bad."