Trump Personally Called FIFA's President to Get a U.S. Player's Red Card Reversed at the World Cup — FIFA Complied, Belgium Is "Astonished," and the Same FIFA President Gave Trump a Peace Prize, Rents Office Space in Trump Tower, Gave Him $15,000 in Tickets, and Will Let Him Present the Trophy at the Final
President Trump personally called FIFA President Gianni Infantino to ask him to review U.S. striker Folarin Balogun's red card suspension during the 2026 World Cup, the New York Times reported. FIFA then reversed the automatic one-game ban, citing Article 27 of its disciplinary code, making Balogun available for the Round of 16 match against Belgium. The Belgian Football Association said it was "astonished" and is "investigating all potential options." Trump posted: "Thank you to FIFA for doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice!" USMNT coach Mauricio Pochettino, asked if politicians should lobby FIFA over specific decisions: "No, we cannot mix that. We cannot mix that." Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville: "It absolutely stinks, let's be really clear." The call is the latest expression of an extraordinary relationship between Trump and Infantino. FIFA awarded Trump its inaugural "Peace Prize" in December 2025 — a prize no senior FIFA official had heard of before Infantino announced it. FIFA rents office space in Trump Tower at an estimated $40,000 per month — space that reportedly sits largely idle. Infantino gave Trump $15,000 in tickets to the FIFA Club World Cup final. Trump's financial disclosure lists nearly $120,000 in sports tickets from various sources. Infantino announced Trump will help present the World Cup trophy at the July 19 final. Fifty members of the European Parliament sent FIFA a letter urging it to address an ethics complaint over the peace prize, calling it "a clear breach of FIFA's duty of neutrality." The president of the United States called the president of FIFA to get a soccer ruling changed in his country's favor during a tournament his country is hosting, and FIFA — which rents space in his building, gave him a peace prize, and will put him at center stage for the final — said yes.