Trump allies back president’s lobbying Fifa against World Cup suspension of Folarin Balogun – US politics live

According to The Guardian, President Trump has waded into the World Cup, personally calling FIFA chief Gianni Infantino to press for a review of the red card that suspended US striker Folarin Balogun. FIFA has since lifted the one-match ban, clearing Balogun to play for the United States in Monday's knockout match against Belgium. The intervention has drawn backing from Trump allies, with Senator Ted Cruz thanking the president for, in his words, getting rid of the red card. The Guardian notes the twist: FIFA's own disciplinary code does not allow appeals against straight red cards, and both FIFA and US Soccer had confirmed after the match that the sanction couldn't be challenged through normal channels.

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