INFANTINO TOLD TRUMP HE WOULD FIX BALOGUN RED CARD, REPORT CLAIMS

Gianni Infantino, the FIFA president, assured Donald Trump during a phone call that he would resolve a dispute over a red card shown to United States forward Folarin Balogun at the World Cup, according to a newspaper report citing four sources. The call took place on 1 July, the day Balogun was sent off in the United States' 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina in the round of 32. The red card carried an automatic one-match ban that would have ruled Balogun out of the next game, against Belgium. FIFA's Disciplinary Committee reversed the suspension, and the United States lost that match 4-1. FIFA has denied the allegation, saying its position had not changed.

Trump had already said publicly that he contacted Infantino to ask for the punishment to be reviewed. The claim that Infantino personally promised to overturn it goes further than what had previously been confirmed. One source said the reversal followed immediately after the call. The decision drew criticism at the time, with claims the United States had received favourable treatment. Infantino has said FIFA's judicial bodies operate independently of him, regardless of his own views on their rulings. The report comes as Infantino faces scrutiny from senior football officials ahead of a FIFA presidential election due in 2027.

FIFA is preparing an amendment to its disciplinary code that would stop automatic one-match suspensions being lifted in future cases. The proposal is expected to go before the FIFA Council in Zurich. The Balogun case is one of several issues reported to be challenging Infantino's leadership of FIFA. FIFA has not commented further on the allegations about the phone call.