Trump's call leads to Balogun's reinstatement, US falls 4-1 to Belgium
The United States men's national soccer team lost 4-1 to Belgium in a World Cup round-of-16 match after FIFA reinstated forward Folarin Balogun following a request from President Donald Trump. Balogun had been shown a straight red card for a foul on Bosnia-Herzegovina forward Tarik Muharemovic in the United States' round-of-32 victory, and Yahoo Sports reported that FIFA rules barred any appeal of the suspension. The disciplinary committee upheld the one-match ban, meaning Balogun would miss the knockout game, as noted by FOX Sports and USA Today. President Trump later contacted FIFA president Gianni Infantino to ask for a review, a call he confirmed in statements cited by NBC News and The New York Times.
AP News said FIFA placed the ban on a one-year probation and lifted it, allowing Balogun to be eligible for the Belgium match. The Royal Belgian Football Association filed an appeal against the reversal, according to The New York Times. In the match, the United States were defeated 4-1 by Belgium, as reported by MS NOW.