Folarin Balogun's suspension from one game after receiving a red card was overturned with the intervention of President Donald Trump. Folarin has now responded to the red card drama.
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Add BollywoodShaadis on GoogleFolarin Balogun has built a big fan base for himself over the years with his football skills as a member of the US team. However, the player recently landed himself in controversy after he received a red card during a match against Bosnia at the World Cup on July 1, 2026.
While he is not allowed to play another match as per the rules, the intervention of President Donald Trump was able to lift the suspension. Meanwhile, Folarin Balogun has finally spoken up on the controversy.
After his suspension was lifted, Folarin Balogun was allowed to play against Belgium in another match. Notably, President Donald Trump revealed that he had a word with Gianni Infantino, the FIFA president, and started seeking a reversal on the decision to suspend Folarin from playing one game.
In an interview with the reporters, Folarin said that he did not speak up against the decision and expected to miss the round of 16. Balogun stated that when the decision changed, it was supposed to create some controversy. But he said that he was not too surprised since his job is to go to the field and focus on his game.
Folarin recalled that he was well aware of the fact that he could not play until he was allowed to play. He further stated:
“I had to respect the protocol. I didn’t know a lot about it. As I said, I accepted the decision when I was given the red card and I accepted the decision when I was told I was allowed to play. I didn’t have any involvement in the process and that’s not something that has anything to do with me personally.”
Although Folarin Balogun’s return to the field reportedly led to some tension outside the field, Belgium managed to win against the US. Folarin also had a conversation with the coach of Belgium, Rudi Garcia. Folarin congratulated Rudi on their win. Rudi also told Folarin to be proud of his tournament.
Folarin Balogun’s suspension was lifted on July 5, 2026. The news was first confirmed by FIFA. An insider claimed that Donald Trump contacted Gianni Infantino to review the matter of the red card. Notably, the decision of FIFA was appreciated by Donald Trump on social media, saying that they reversed a “great injustice.”
On the other hand, the Belgian soccer federation, also called RBFA, was not satisfied with the reversal of the decision. They claimed that FIFA did not share any explanation with them about it, following which they have to challenge the eligibility of Folarin in the upcoming match.
The federation revealed that they learned about the reversal through media reports and approached a governing body, seeking details of the same. A statement by the federation also reads:
“As its only response, FIFA sent a letter to the RBFA stating that it considered this correspondence to constitute an appeal, that a judge has been appointed, and that the RBFA had only a few hours to complete that appeal. No information whatsoever was provided by FIFA.”
Apart from RBFA, Rudi Garcia also said that the federation aims to protect the national team while defending the game, along with the integrity and ethics. The federation later stated that they were looking at all potential options to ensure that the rights of all the teams and the fundamental principles of fair play in the game are protected.
What are your thoughts about the red card controversy involving Folarin Balogun? Let us know.
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