Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 08:44am on 07 Jul 2026,Tuesday Sports
Pressure is growing on FIFA President Gianni Infantino after the governing body suspended Folarin Balogun's World Cup red-card ban, allowing the United States striker to play against Belgium. The decision followed confirmation that US President Donald Trump contacted Infantino over the incident. Human rights group FairSquare has called for an ethics investigation, arguing the episode may have breached FIFA's political neutrality rules. UEFA, the Belgian Football Association and several football figures have also criticised the move, saying it undermines the integrity of the game. FIFA maintains its independent disciplinary committee made the decision without Infantino's involvement.
