World Cup
FIFA rejects Belgium challenge over Balogun eligibility, Trump calls red card U-turn ‘brilliant’
FIFA President Gianni Infantino defended world soccer’s disciplinary process on Monday amid an international wave of criticism after U.S. President Donald Trump praised FIFA’s decision to suspend Folarin Balogun’s World Cupred-card ban, and as the controversy spilled over into politics.
Infantino said FIFA’s judicial bodies operated “independently and autonomously” and that he had told Trump the Balogun case was subject to an ongoing legal process, even as the U.S. President described the decision to reinstate the United States striker as “brilliant” after personally urging FIFA to review the case.
The affair has become the tournament’s biggest controversy, drawing condemnation from European football body UEFA, which said FIFA had “crossed a red line”, the Royal Belgian Football Association, several national federations as well as senior coaches, officials and politicians, with critics arguing FIFA had undermined confidence in its own disciplinary system.
It also prompted the Belgians, who play the U.S. later on Monday for a place in the quarter-finals, to challenge Balogun’s eligibility for the match but their appeal was rejected by FIFA. The player was sent off for a tackle during the U.S. win over Bosnia and Herzegovina, a punishment that usually carries an automatic one-match ban.
“He (Balogun) didn’t do anything wrong and he is our best player,” Trump told reporters at the Oval Office on Monday. “When they take your best player and say ‘You can’t play’ it’s very unfair.”
“I think they made a really brilliant decision,” Trump said. “I asked for a review. If they would not allow a top player to play I think it (the World Cup) would have had a big stain. I related that feeling.”
Trump also questioned the quality of refereeing by Brazil’s Raphael Claus, who had sent Balogun off, saying he was “a little bit suspect if you check his past.” He did not elaborate.
Infantino later confirmed the call but said he explained to Trump that FIFA’s judicial bodies operated independently.
“During our conversation I explained that there was an ongoing legal process involving FIFA’s independent judicial bodies and that the case would be decided in due course by the competent bodies,” Infantino said in a statement. “That is how FIFA’s system works, and it is a principle that I will always uphold.”
For UEFA, the decision to suspend the ban was wrong.
“We express our disbelief at such an unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable decision,” UEFA said. “Yesterday’s decision … crossed a red line.
“When the certainty of rules is no longer guaranteed by its guardians, the integrity of the game is at stake and the credibility of a competition is undermined.”
Several national football federations have been equally critical of FIFA’s decision.
“The decision in the Balogun case is incomprehensible to the Swiss Football Association (SFA), regardless of how it came about,” the Swiss FA, whose team are in the World Cup round of 16, said.
“This decision raises questions and creates uncertainty, particularly regarding the authority of referees’ decisions, especially when the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) is involved. The credibility of the competition depends on clear rules that are applied consistently,” it said.
FAILED CHALLENGE
The Royal Belgian Football Association challenged FIFA’s decision to declare Balogun eligible to play on Monday but FIFA rejected it.
“The FIFA Appeal Committee has rendered a request submitted by the Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) as inadmissible,” FIFA said in a statement. “The request was rendered inadmissible on the grounds that the RBFA is not a party to the proceedings and, as such, has no standing to appeal the decision.”
The Brazilian FA (CBF) also joined in the chorus of criticism, rejecting any suggestion regarding the quality of Claus’ refereeing.
“The CBF refutes any insinuation that casts doubt on Raphael Claus’s integrity. He is an exemplary professional, whose career is amply supported by technical assessments, consistent performance and the trust placed in him by the leading national and international competitions,” it said.
The high-profile criticism also echoed that from big names in the sport.
“This is our sport, not theirs,” said former Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp, who is in talks to become the new Germany coach.
“If Donald Trump and Gianni Infantino really sorted this out between themselves, it is madness; it calls everything into question. These two people, who know nothing about football, should have absolutely nothing to do with this.”
It is not the first time this year that FIFA has been accused of mixing politics with sport, with Infantino attending President Trump’s Board of Peace meeting in February and facing subsequent questions about the body’s political neutrality.
STRANGE DECISION
Balogun, who has scored three goals in the tournament, was sent off after a VAR review for dragging his studs down the back of defender Tarik Muharemovic’s leg and onto his foot during their win over Bosnia and Herzegovina in the round of 32.
The red card carried an automatic one-match ban, ruling Balogun out of Monday’s tie with Belgium. FIFA instead suspended the ban for a one-year probationary period without rescinding the card itself.
Even former FIFA President Sepp Blatter, who stepped down in 2015 amid corruption allegations, joined the criticism.
“Red cards are not overturned by political phone calls. They are overturned by rules, evidence and independent bodies,” he said. “If a U.S. President intervenes with the FIFA President — and a player is suddenly cleared before a World Cup knockout match — the question is unavoidable: Quo vadis, FIFA? Football must never become a playground for political power.”
-Reuters
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Folarin Balogun plays the biggest game of his life on Monday, caught in a complex intersection of soccer, identity and U.S. politics, with an intervention from President Donald Trump helping propel him to the centre of one of the World Cup’s biggest controversies.
Balogun was never supposed to feature in Monday’s round of 16 game against Belgium, after earning a red card during the United States’ previous match against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
FIFA on Sunday stunningly said it would suspend the World Cup ban.
The twist carried a striking irony. Trump, who has repeatedly called for ending birthright citizenship, had publicly urged FIFA President Gianni Infantino to review Balogun’s case. Balogun acquired U.S. citizenship by birth after his Nigerian mother was unable to return home from a trip to New York because she was too far advanced in her pregnancy to fly. She took her newborn son back to Britain when he was one month old, where he would grow up before eventually choosing to represent the United States.
After initially competing for England at youth level, he opted to join the U.S. Soccer programme in 2023
Balogun’s origin story added another layer of interest to an already charmed World Cup turn, his career blossoming on sport’s biggest stage as U.S. Soccer sheds its decades-old image as an incubator for overwhelmingly white talent.
Supporters of birthright citizenship cheered on his performances at a time when citizenship, immigration and American identity have come to the fore in U.S. politics.
Balogun “prove(s) birthright citizenship isn’t a loophole — it’s America,” declared a headline from aMiami Herald, opens new tab editorial on Thursday.
“Mr. Balogun’s case is an extraordinary example of the good that is made available to us by things like birthright citizenship, giving people an opportunity that they would not have otherwise, to be their best and to contribute to the United States in ways that benefit all of us,” said Jorge Loweree, the managing director of programs at the American Immigration Council.
The United States is one of 33 countries, most of them in the Western Hemisphere, that allow unconditional birthright, after an 1898 Supreme Court ruling affirmed that the 14th Amendment allows for birthright citizenship.
‘EXTRAORDINARY TO WITNESS’
Christian Pulisic had been the charismatic front man for the United States team for years, a rare genuine celebrity in the men’s game for a country so often ambivalent towards it.
But while “Captain America” Pulisic still has the most affection from sponsors, it was Balogun who became the United States’ breakout star, netting three goals to get fans dreaming of a deep run in the tournament.
A year and a half after Pulisic raised eyebrows with his “Trump dance” goal celebration, Balogun earned shoutouts from America’s biggest sports star, LeBron James, as he mimicked the NBA legend’s “Silencer” celebration on the pitch.
But the dream turned into a nightmare when he was shown a red card on Wednesday after a Video Assistant Referee review for planting his boot on the ankle of Bosnia defender Tarik Muharemovic, which appeared to be inadvertent.
Pulisic wrapped his arm around Balogun as the 25-year-old striker took the moment in stride. Days later, he pledged to put all his energy into supporting his teammates off the pitch in their clash with Belgium.
But less than a week after the Supreme Court handed Trump a stinging defeat in his central policy goal of ending birthright citizenship, the president dialled up FIFA boss Gianni Infantino in search of a reprieve.
“The timing and the development of the story has been extraordinary to witness,” said Loweree.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll this year found that most Americans opposed ending birthright citizenship.
While Infantino confirmed that he had heard from Trump, he denied that the U.S. president had any impact on the suspension of the red card.
‘I’M AT HOME’
Balogun was raised in London and came up through the Arsenal academy, with England, Nigeria and the United States all possible landing spots for the prolific scorer.
“It feels like I’m at home here,” Balogun explained in U.S. Soccer’s announcement that he would play for the Stars and Stripes.
He said he made the decision with his family but was also swayed by a vacation to Orlando.
“I think that’s when I really saw the full force of the U.S. fans,” he said at the time. “It’s just something I’m really happy that I’ve decided to do.”
-Reuters
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BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s glittering international career appears to have reached its final chapter after Portugal crashed out of the FIFA World Cup following a heartbreaking 1-0 defeat to Spain in the Round of 16 on Monday.
The 41-year-old Portuguese icon, who had carried the hopes of his nation through a record-breaking international journey spanning more than two decades, could do little to prevent Portugal’s exit as substitute Mikel Merino struck a dramatic stoppage-time winner to send the European champions into the quarter-finals.
With extra time looming and the contest seemingly destined for another 30 minutes, Spain found the decisive breakthrough in the 91st minute. Fellow substitute Ferran Torres slipped a perfectly weighted pass behind the Portuguese defence, and Merino raced through to score, breaking Portuguese hearts and ending Ronaldo’s quest for a second major international title.
The defeat is expected to trigger an announcement from Ronaldo regarding his retirement from international football, bringing down the curtain on one of the most celebrated careers in the history of the game.
Already the first player to score in six different FIFA World Cups, Ronaldo arrived at the 2026 tournament determined to add another glorious chapter to his remarkable story. Instead, his final World Cup appearance may be remembered as the night Spain extinguished Portugal’s ambitions.
As the final whistle sounded, the spotlight inevitably shifted from Merino’s match-winning strike to the future of the man who has defined Portuguese football for a generation. Ronaldo leaves the international stage as Portugal’s all-time leading scorer, record appearance holder and the inspirational figure behind their UEFA Euro 2016 and UEFA Nations League triumphs.
For Spain, however, the march towards a second World Cup crown continues. The European champions maintained their impressive defensive record, extending their run in the tournament without conceding a goal.
Their disciplined display frustrated Portugal throughout a tense Iberian derby before Merino delivered the decisive blow deep into added time.
Spain now advance to the quarter-finals, where they will face either the United States or Belgium, while Portugal begin the painful process of reflecting on another World Cup campaign that ended before reaching the last eight.
For Ronaldo, the journey may finally be over. If this indeed proves to be his farewell in Portuguese colours, it closes an extraordinary international saga that transformed a gifted teenager from Madeira into one of football’s greatest icons, even if the ultimate World Cup dream remained tantalisingly out of reach.
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BY KUNLE SOLAJA, NEW YORK
As the curtain continues to fall on the FIFA World Cup 2026 knockout rounds, Nigerian football entrepreneur and sports investor Kunle Soname has urged African football administrators to look beyond the continent’s impressive participation statistics and address the recurring shortcomings that continue to deny African teams deeper success on football’s biggest stage.
Speaking in a transatlantic telephone interview with Sports Village Square, Soname reflected on what he described as a largely positive but ultimately incomplete campaign for Africa at the expanded 48-team World Cup.
“African teams have done very well, especially in the first phase of the expanded World Cup,” Soname observed. “If you consider that nine of the ten African representatives progressed from the group stage into the knockout phase, that represents a 90 per cent success rate. It is the highest achieved by any confederation.”
Yet, for the businessman whose football interests span clubs, academies and aviation, the story of Africa’s World Cup journey cannot be measured by qualification statistics alone.
“The second round presented a mixed bag,” he said. “The sad part is not just the crashing out of teams, but the manner of their exits.”
According to Soname, Africa’s recurring challenge lies not in talent or preparation but in what he calls “end-game management” — the ability to navigate decisive moments when matches, and sometimes history, are on the line.
“It shows that as a continent, we have to take a look at how we manage our teams and initial successes. We lack the cutting edge that should come into play when we get to the end-game situations. Sadly, this has become a recurring pattern.”
He pointed to Senegal’s elimination as a recent example, while also acknowledging the fighting spirit shown by DR Congo.
“DR Congo put up a good show, but the end-game management is what they lack,” he noted.
For Soname, the issue stretches across generations of African football history. He recalled several painful near-misses that continue to haunt the continent.
“Nigeria suffered similar cruel fates in USA ’94 and Russia 2018. Remember Ghana in 2010, Cameroon against England in 1990 and Senegal against Turkey in 2002. These examples show that we often struggle to run the extra mile that delivers truly great success.”
He also expressed concern about reports emerging from the Senegal camp following their exit, suggesting that internal discipline remains a critical factor in tournament football.
“The news coming out of the Senegalese camp after their exit shows that camp discipline was lacking. These are areas that must be addressed if Africa wants to consistently compete for the latter stages of the World Cup.”
Despite the disappointments, Soname reserved special praise for Cape Verde, whom he described as the revelation of the tournament.
“Looking at Cape Verde, which to me is the biggest revelation of the tournament, you can see how debutants were able to weave together relatively unknown players from lower leagues into a formidable team that gave former world champions Spain, Uruguay and Argentina a run for their money.”
The success story, he believes, offers valuable lessons for the rest of Africa, particularly Nigeria.
“It shows what can be achieved through organisation, planning and proper development structures,” he said.
Soname, whose football empire includes Remo Stars FC, Beyond Limits Academy and Remo Stars Ladies FC, believes the solution lies closer to home.
“What we need to do, especially in Nigeria, is to develop and reorganise our domestic league, improve the mentality of our players, structure the league better and ensure that football academies are properly organised.”
Coming from a man who has quietly transformed football infrastructure in Nigeria, the comments carry particular weight.
A recipient of the national honour of Officer of the Federal Republic (OFR), Soname has built a reputation as one of Nigeria’s most influential sports visionaries. Beyond football club ownership, he is the founder of Bet9ja, one of Nigeria’s leading gaming companies, and the owner of ValueJet, the airline that serves as the official carrier of the Super Eagles.
His investments have helped create pathways for young footballers while demonstrating that sustainable football development requires long-term commitment rather than short-term promises.
As Africa reflects on a World Cup campaign that produced unprecedented participation but limited knockout success, Soname’s message is clear: the continent possesses the talent to compete with the world’s best, but converting promise into history will require stronger structures, better management and a relentless focus on the fine margins that decide football’s biggest matches.
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