FIFA president Gianni Infantino has defended his role in the decision that led to Folarin Balogun’s one-game ban being suspended after United States President Donald Trump called him to ask for a review.World soccer’s governing body FIFA has been widely criticised over the decision, with suggestions of political interference from the White House to ensure Balogun would be available for the UMSNT’s round-of-16 fixture against Belgium on Monday night.Speaking from Washington D.C. on Monday morning, Trump confirmed his conversation with Infantino before the decision was announced, having described the red card as a “great injustice” on Sunday.“All I did, I asked for a review, because I didn’t think it was a foul,” the U.S. President said. “And again, I’m good at this stuff. I think they made a brilliant decision. I think the referee’s call was horrible.”Belgium challenged Balogun’s eligibility with a request to FIFA, but the governing body’s appeal committee dismissed it.“I have seen the public comments regarding the decision of the independent FIFA Disciplinary Committee related to the suspension of Folarin Balogun, and I would like to reiterate a fundamental principle of FIFA’s governance,” Infantino’s statement, published on FIFA’s website, read on Monday lunchtime.“FIFA’s judicial bodies are independent. They operate autonomously, apply the FIFA Disciplinary Code, and decide cases based on the applicable regulations and the specific facts before them. Their independence is essential to the credibility and integrity of football, and this must always be respected.“Yes, I regularly discuss matters related to the FIFA World Cup with the President of the United States, and on this matter, I did receive a call from President Donald Trump, just as I receive calls from heads of state, government officials, football stakeholders and business executives from around the world on many different issues.“During our conversation, I explained that there was an ongoing legal process involving FIFA’s independent judicial bodies and that the case would be decided in due course by the competent bodies. That is how FIFA’s system works, and it is a principle that I will always uphold.”UEFA, European football’s governing body to which Belgium is a member, released a statement earlier on Monday condemning the verdict.“We express our disbelief at such an unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable decision,” UEFA said in a statement published on their website.“Yesterday’s decision to suspend for a probationary period of a year the implementation of the one-match automatic suspension following the red card issued to the player Folarin Balogun crossed a red line.”Infantino, stressing the independent nature of the disciplinary committee, added: “I read the decisions of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee when they are issued. Sometimes I am surprised by them. Sometimes I agree with them, and sometimes I disagree.“What I always do, however, is respect those decisions and the autonomy of the bodies that make them.“Whether we personally like a decision or not is irrelevant. Respect for independent institutions and the rule of law is what protects the integrity of our competitions and the credibility of FIFA at all times.”Jul 6, 2026Connections: Sports EditionSpot the pattern. Connect the termsFind the hidden link between sports terms