Trump thanks FIFA after Folarin Balogun’s World Cup red card suspension is reversed
President Donald Trump on Sunday cheered FIFA’s decision to reverse a one-game suspension of U.S Men’s National Team striker Folarin Balogun, allowing him to play against Belgium in Monday’s World Cup match.
Read more Three sons of Iran’s slain leader Khamenei appear at funeral, not his successor
Balogun received a controversial red card in the U.S.’s 2-0 victory against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday.
That normally results in an immediate one-game suspension without appeal. But the international soccer governing body reversed the suspension on Sunday.
“Thank you to FIFA for doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social account.
Read more Trump gives campaign-style July 4 speech on National Mall for U.S. 250th anniversary
FIFA, in a statement on Sunday, said: “By operation of Article 27 FDC, the implementation of the automatic match suspension for USA player Folarin Balogun is suspended for a probationary period of one (1) year.”
Balogun is a U.S. citizen by birth who grew up in the United Kingdom.
Trump last week lost a case at the Supreme Court challenging birthright citizenship, with a majority of justices ruling that individuals born in the U.S. are U.S. citizens. Trump last year issued an executive order that sought to restrict birthright citizenship sharply.
Read more Erdogan’s warm ties with Trump offer Turkey an edge ahead of NATO summit