Why European backlash over Trump intervention won't worry Infantino

To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. This video can not be played Figure caption, President Trump on Balogun red-card suspension By Dale Johnson Football issues correspondent Published 6 July 2026 Updated 1 hour ago Gianni Infantino has been Fifa president for 10 years. Next year, he is up for re-election. From the Fifa Peace Prize, to the vastly inflated ticket prices at the World Cup, to the Club World Cup, Infantino's tenure has been increasingly controversial. But could the unprecedented decision to cancel Folarin Balogun's red-card suspension for the United States' World Cup last-16 tie against Belgium be the tipping point? In a tournament they have co-hosted, Balogun was the star man for the US, with three goals. Despite being sent off, he was made available for the Belgium game - even though World Cup rules don't allow appeals against red cards. On Monday, more than 24 hours after its initial decision, Fifa released an 871-word statement that shed little light on why it made the call. But someone else has. "I'm the one that got them to do it," said US President Donald Trump when asked if he had put in calls to Infantino. Trump said "all" he did was ask for a review. He said he did not tell Infantino to suspend Balogun's ban. But that such an intervention happened at all is a major concern across football. In the US, the narrative has been about unfairness. That Balogun should not miss another game. That being sent off against Bosnia-Herzegovina and missing the rest of that game had been punishment enough. Those sentiments were echoed by Trump. Infantino rejected any suggestion there was political interference, insisting the disciplinary committee was independent. But perception is just as important. The decision has not benefited just any team. It has gone to the co-hosts. Led by Trump - a man who has stood side by side with Infantino and calls the Fifa president his friend. The suspension of the ban felt like a presidential pardon. "This is our sport, not theirs," said former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp. "If Donald Trump and Gianni Infantino really sorted this out between themselves, it is madness; it calls everything into question." Could the fallout create pressure that will put Infantino's position in doubt? Fifa forbids political interference in football Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Gianni Infantino has been Fifa president since 2016 Fifa's statutes are clear about political interference. It is not permitted. Countries are regularly suspended from international football because of government involvement in national football associations. Pakistan, for instance, have been suspended three times in the space of eight years. When it comes to Infantino and Trump, are the rules different? The World Cup draw, during which Trump was bestowed with the inaugural Fifa Peace Prize , felt like the culmination of two years of Infantino fostering a close relationship with the US president. "You can always co