US President Donald Trump reportedly called FIFA President Gianni Infantino and requested the cancellation of the red card issued to US striker Folarin Balogun. The suspension was subsequently canceled, according to reports. The intervention is unprecedented for a US head of state in a FIFA disciplinary matter.
FIFA has officially cancelled the red card suspension of US striker Folarin Balogun, following President Donald Trump's reported direct call to FIFA President Gianni Infantino. The desk reported Sunday at 20:51 Jerusalem that Trump personally lobbied Infantino to overturn the red card, a move described as an unprecedented intervention by a sitting US president in a FIFA disciplinary matter. By 23:21 Jerusalem, a separate report cited a Ynet report confirming Trump specifically asked Infantino to review the card. Early Monday morning, reports confirm FIFA acted on that request, canceling the suspension outright.
The thread has evolved from an initial bulletin Sunday at 20:51 Jerusalem, which noted only that FIFA had overturned the ban and that Trump personally thanked the organization, as reported by journalist Asaf Rozentzweig (N12). Subsequent bulletins same evening added source-backed details: first, the New York Times citing sources that Trump directly called Infantino to request the reconsideration; then, the Ynet report specifying Trump had asked for a review before the cancellation. The cancellation itself is the first such reversal since 1962, as previously reported.
As The Zioneer reported in its 22:56 Jerusalem article on Sunday, the intervention by a sitting US president in a FIFA disciplinary matter is without known precedent. On Wednesday, June 10 at 21:33 Jerusalem, The Zioneer reported that Trump had stated he will attend the World Cup, indicating broader engagement with the tournament.
The exact details of the phone call between Trump and Infantino and the specific timeline of the decision remain undisclosed.
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Source and signal
- Internal intake