Rabat – The White House defended US President Donald Trump’s phone call to FIFA President Gianni Infantino after FIFA suspended the ban on United States striker Folarin Balogun.
Andrew Giuliani, Director of the White House World Cup Task Force, said the intervention “did the right thing” and denied that it was an attempt by the US government to interfere in football.
Balogun was sent off by Brazilian referee Rafael Claus during the United States’ World Cup match against Bosnia and Herzegovina.Where the red card meant he would miss the Round of 16 match against Belgium.
One day after Trump’s call with Infantino, FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee suspended the ban under Article 27 of its Disciplinary Code. The decision sparked criticism from several football federations.
Giuliani said the referee made the wrong decision by using slow-motion VAR footage to judge the challenge, claiming that the referee had previously been investigated over alleged match-fixing linked to red-card decisions.
“White House’s action was meant to support fair play and should not be seen as a precedent for government involvement in football,”he added.
Giuliani added that President Trump and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick discussed the issue before contacting Infantino. Saying that the administration believed the intervention was necessary to ensure fairness, despite the criticism that followed FIFA’s decision.
