Trump confirms he asked FIFA to review Balogun ban – suspension shelved

President Donald Trump has confirmed he personally asked FIFA to review United States striker Folarin Balogun's one-match suspension at the World Cup. Speaking at the White House on Monday, Trump said football's world governing body "made the right decision" to suspend the automatic ban, warning it would have left a "big stain" on the tournament had it been enforced. Balogun, the USA's leading scorer at the current World Cup, was set to miss the knockout tie against Belgium in Seattle on Tuesday. However, FIFA announced late Monday that the one-game suspension is suspended for 12 months, clearing the way for the 25-year-old forward to feature. Trump explained he asked FIFA to revisit the decision because he "didn't think it was a foul." "I thought it was two great athletes who crashed into each other and got entangled," the 80-year-old said. "I can't tell them what to do. I don't believe they made the decision; I believe it was the commission that made the decision. And it was the right decision."