US President Donald Trump has confirmed that he asked FIFA to review the one-match suspension handed to United States striker Folarin Balogun, saying he believed the challenge that led to the red card was not a foul.Speaking at the White House on Monday, Trump said he had spoken with FIFA President Gianni Infantino to request a review but insisted he did not tell football’s governing body what decision to make.

“All I did was ask for a review because I didn’t think it was a foul,” Trump said.Balogun had been due to miss the United States’ FIFA World Cup Round of 16 match against Belgium after receiving a straight red card for a challenge on Bosnia and Herzegovina defender Tarik Muharemovic in the previous round.However, FIFA made the unprecedented decision to suspend the automatic one-match ban for 12 months, allowing the striker to remain eligible for the knockout fixture.

Trump welcomed the ruling, saying FIFA had “made the right decision” and arguing that enforcing the suspension would have left “a big stain” on the tournament.He compared the situation to potentially suspending some of football’s biggest stars.“How would you feel if we took Messi out? Or Ronaldo? Or Harry Kane?” Trump said, arguing that top players should not miss major matches over what he viewed as an accidental collision.

The decision has triggered widespread controversy, with the Royal Belgian Football Association saying it was “astonished” by FIFA’s ruling and UEFA later accusing FIFA of crossing a “red line,” warning that the move undermined the integrity and credibility of the competition. (Newswire)