Trump intervention sparks FIFA controversy before U.S.-Belgium showdown

FIFA’s reversal of Folarin Balogun’s suspension altered the stakes of the United States’ Round of 16 match against Belgium before a ball was kicked in Seattle. The decision, which made the U.S. striker eligible again after a red card, followed Donald Trump’s intervention with FIFA President Gianni Infantino and turned a knockout match into a political flashpoint.

The game was set for Monday, July 6, at 5 p.m. local time at Seattle Stadium, also known as Lumen Field, with the winner advancing to the World Cup quarterfinals. It was the first World Cup meeting between the United States and Belgium since their dramatic Round of 16 clash in Brazil in 2014. The United States reached this stage by beating Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-0, while Belgium advanced after a 3-2 win over Senegal. In Brussels, the kickoff time was 2 a.m. on July 7.

Balogun had been expected to miss the match because of a one-game ban, but FIFA lifted the suspension after Trump personally urged Infantino to review the case. U.S. Soccer accepted the decision, and Balogun’s teammates said they learned of the change through social media while on the way to training ahead of the match. That sequence put FIFA’s disciplinary process itself at the center of one of the tournament’s marquee fixtures.

Belgian officials moved quickly to challenge the ruling. The Belgian Football Association lodged an appeal with FIFA’s Appeal Committee over the decision to let Balogun play despite the red card. Belgium was also reported to have been granted the right to appeal the reversal before kickoff, adding a legal edge to the sporting tension.

European soccer officials reacted sharply. UEFA called FIFA’s decision “incomprehensible” and “unjustifiable,” a public rebuke that underscored how far the dispute had spilled beyond the pitch. For Belgium, the issue was not only Balogun’s availability but the perception that a World Cup knockout tie had been shaped by political pressure from outside the sport.

The episode handed the United States a clearer path to keep one of its attackers on the field, and it gave Trump a visible role in a World Cup decision with global reach. It also left Belgium and UEFA challenging a ruling that, in their view, blurred the line between football governance and political power just hours before one of the tournament’s biggest matches.