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14 July 2026

United States forward Folarin Balogun has revealed that he expected a strong reaction after President Donald Trump intervened to overturn his World Cup suspension, admitting that he knew the move would “create a lot of controversy”.

The AS Monaco striker was shown a red card during the USA’s round-of-32 encounter with Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, Fifa’s disciplinary committee later deferred his one-match suspension for a year, which permitted Balogun to take part in the United States’ last-16 loss to Belgium.

The decision quickly placed Balogun at the centre of an intense debate. This week, the human rights group FairSquare filed a formal complaint with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), claiming that Fifa president Gianni Infantino breached the organisation’s political neutrality rules through his communications with President Trump, who had publicly stated that he personally stepped in to support Balogun and the US World Cup co-hosts.

Speaking to CBS, Balogun reflected on the situation: “At first, I was just happy to be back with the team, but when I started to think about it more, I realised it was going to spark a lot of controversy. I could even sense some nerves among my teammates, because it was such an unusual situation.”

He continued: “As the game approached, I tried to concentrate as much as possible, but it wasn’t easy. There was a lot of noise from outside, and that’s tough to block out.”

Balogun, who came through the Arsenal academy, maintains that his dismissal for a challenge on Tarik Muharemovic was unjustified.

“I was stunned,” he said. “It wasn’t even a proper tackle. I was completely shocked — you could see it from my reaction. But I had to accept the referee’s decision and focus on supporting my teammates.”

He added: “When something isn’t intentional, it should never be a red card. It was just an unfortunate moment, and it put more pressure on us than necessary.”

FairSquare argues that Mr Infantino, who became an IOC member in 2020, has repeatedly breached the Olympic Charter and the IOC’s code of ethics, with the Balogun case being the latest example.

Adding further intrigue, The Times reported that Mohammad Al Kamali, chair of Fifa’s disciplinary committee, made the decision to suspend the ban on his own — an unprecedented move in his prior disciplinary record. Fifa has not yet provided any clarification on why the suspension was lifted.

FairSquare’s complaint details five specific violations of the IOC’s political neutrality principles and includes ‘prima facie’ evidence of two additional serious breaches, all tied to the handling of Balogun’s case.

In December, FairSquare also submitted a similar complaint to Fifa’s ethics committee. While Fifa acknowledged receipt of the complaint, no further updates have been shared.

Last month, Norway’s football federation formally requested that Fifa’s ethics committee investigate FairSquare’s allegations. On 29 June, fifty Members of the European Parliament also wrote to the same committee, urging it to examine the claims thoroughly.

Both Fifa and the IOC have been contacted for comment regarding the ongoing controversy.