FIFA president Gianni Infantino has acknowledged receiving a personal phone call from U.S. President Donald Trump over the disciplinary case involving American striker Folarin Balogun — but he has firmly denied that the conversation had any bearing on the outcome.

Infantino stressed that FIFA's judicial bodies operate with full independence, free from outside interference, and that he made this clear to Trump during their exchange.

Infantino's stance on FIFA's independence

"FIFA's judicial bodies are independent. They operate autonomously, apply the FIFA Disciplinary Code, and decide cases based on the applicable regulations and the specific facts before them. Their independence is essential to the credibility and integrity of football, and this must always be respected," Infantino said in a public statement.

He added that contact with world leaders is routine: "Yes, I regularly discuss matters related to the FIFA World Cup with the President of the United States, and on this matter, I did receive a call from President Donald Trump, just as I receive calls from heads of state, government officials, football stakeholders and business executives from around the world on many different issues."

Infantino explained that he told Trump an independent legal process was already underway and that the outcome would be determined solely by FIFA's competent disciplinary bodies.

Balogun's red card and its reversal

The saga began when Balogun was shown a controversial red card during the United States' round-of-32 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina at the FIFA World Cup 2026, triggering an automatic one-match suspension. The ban would have ruled him out of the round-of-16 clash against Belgium.

FIFA's independent Disciplinary Committee subsequently reversed the suspension, allowing Balogun to feature in the last-16 match. His ban was deferred for one year rather than enforced immediately.

UEFA's sharp criticism

The decision has not gone without challenge. European football's governing body, UEFA, publicly condemned FIFA's reversal, stating that the organisation had "crossed a red line" with what it described as a highly questionable ruling. A former DR Congo international also questioned the integrity of the process in separate comments.

Infantino, however, maintained that the system had functioned as intended and that he would always uphold the principle of judicial independence within football's global governance structures.