FIFA is seeking to change its regulations after the suspension of a red-card-related ban for U.S. forward Folarin Balogun at the World Cup, according to multiple reports. The change is intended to prevent similar situations from recurring.
The outlets report that FIFA president Gianni Infantino suspended Balogun’s ban after a phone call involving U.S. President Donald Trump, with claims that Infantino told Trump he would “take care of” the matter. One report frames this as an internal process that led to an emergency adjustment of how disciplinary outcomes can be handled. Another describes FIFA working to amend the rules to reduce the risk of comparable interventions affecting sanctions.
While the reports vary in how they characterize the communications and the speed or nature of FIFA’s response, they largely agree on the core sequence: Balogun receives a red card, a ban is subsequently suspended, and FIFA then moves to alter rules to limit repeat controversies.
