U.S. President Donald Trump has defended U.S. striker Folarin Balogun after FIFA suspended the one-match ban linked to his red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina, allowing him to play in the United States’ World Cup last-16 match against Belgium.

Speaking from the Oval Office, the U.S. president said he believed the incident did not warrant a sending-off.

“I’m a person who loves sports. I was a good athlete, and I understand sports very well – really very well,” Trump said.

“That wasn’t a foul. It was two players running at full speed who simply collided. You can’t just lift your foot and place it right on top of someone else’s foot. It was two great athletes who got tangled up with each other.”

Trump also criticised the referee, suggesting his previous decisions deserved scrutiny.

.@POTUS on Balogun's red card: "I've never seen anything like it. I saw the play… that wasn't a foul. That wasn’t even an infraction. That was two guys running full speed that happened to crash into each other… So yes, I asked for a review by FIFA." pic.twitter.com/25PzmogkEt

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) July 6, 2026

“This referee is a bit suspicious. If you look at his past… I don’t want to say it because I don’t like to stir up controversy, but he’s very suspicious,” he said.

The comments followed reports that Trump had contacted FIFA president Gianni Infantino to ask for the decision to be reviewed.

FIFA later announced that the implementation of Balogun’s one-match suspension had been suspended for a one-year probationary period, though the red card itself remains on the record.

The decision has drawn criticism, with UEFA describing the move as “unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable,” while Belgium has also questioned the ruling ahead of its knockout match against the United States.