Gianni Infantino assured Donald Trump that he would look into United States forward Folarin Balogun’s looming World Cup suspension, after the US President personally contacted the FIFA chief to intervene. Balogun had been sent off in the USA’s match against Bosnia and Herzegovina but was still cleared to feature in the following fixture against Belgium.
Instead of enforcing a ban, officials issued a suspended sanction alongside a fine. According to talkSPORT, Infantino had already been in discussions with FIFA’s chief legal and compliance officer, Emilio García Silvero, before making his promise to Trump. Silvero was reportedly left with a clear directive: reassessing Balogun’s red card was to be treated as an urgent priority. The opening of a disciplinary panel was swiftly sanctioned, after which Infantino stepped aside to allow proceedings to take their natural course. Nevertheless, it has not been made clear that the review was deemed permissible.
For his part, Trump has boasted about his involvement, and enjoys a close rapport with Infantino which included regular communication throughout the tournament. “I was forced to call Gianni and just make a recommendation,” said Trump at a fan event, with Infantino alongside him.
“I said ‘Gianni, let the guy in the game! No, I didn’t say that [laughter]. I said, ‘Gianni, I’d like to wage a complaint’. And I had no idea what was going to happen.
“But it was so much better the way it worked out because there’s no controversy. They [Belgium] won the game, and our team had all its players… Gianni made yet another of his many good decisions.”
The United States were eventually eliminated by Belgium regardless, and the outcome avoided the Pandora’s box that would have been unleashed had the Red Devils been knocked out. Despite such controversy, Infantino was effusive in his praise for the World Cup during the tournament’s closing stages.
“This is the greatest human, social and cultural event mankind has ever witnessed,” Infantino said. “For this, I thank you. One country will be world champion, but the world has already won, America has won, FIFA has won.”
Trump has allegedly endorsed Infantino to become the next United Nations Secretary-General. The Apprentice star is understood to believe that the Italian would be ideally suited to the position.