US President Donald Trump personally credited FIFA President Gianni Infantino with overturning Folarin Balogun's red-card suspension, saying he called Infantino to recommend the decision during a reception at Trump Tower in New York on 17 July.
Trump attributed the reversal directly to Infantino despite FIFA's earlier statement that an independent disciplinary committee had made the ruling. The intervention, which came after Balogun's dismissal in the round-of-32 win over Bosnia-Herzegovina, sparked widespread international criticism over political interference in sport.
Balogun was cleared to play in the round of 16, but the United States were eliminated in a 4-1 defeat to Belgium despite his appearance. Trump also used the event to argue that the United States should host a future World Cup without co-hosts Mexico and Canada.