FIFA Suspends Red Card After Trump Call, Balogun Says: “I Thought It Was a Joke”

United States forward Folarin Balogun said he thought it was “a joke” when FIFA suspended his red card, allowing him to play in the World Cup round-of-16 match against Belgium. The decision came after a phone call from former President Donald Trump. “Two days before the Belgium match they told me I was allowed to play again, and for me it was unreal; at first I thought it was a joke,” Balogun said during a conversation with basketball star LeBron James at the Fanatics Fest in New York. Balogun had been shown a red card during a previous match. He said he only asked for a review because he did not believe it was a foul. “All I did was ask for a review because I didn’t think it was a foul,” Trump said at the time. FIFA’s suspension of the sanction allowed Balogun to take the field in the crucial knockout stage game. The player’s comments highlight the unusual circumstances surrounding the decision.