The White House contacted FIFA President Gianni Infantino to request a review of Folarin Balogun’s red card during the FIFA World Cup, according to a person familiar with the matter.
The report, first published by the Associated Press on Sunday, said the source spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to discuss the call publicly.
According to the source, the White House reached out to FIFA seeking a review of the decision to send off the United States forward.
However, the person said they could not provide further details about who specifically made the call or when it took place.
“The person did not have details to share about who specifically made the call and when.”
Balogun’s red card was later overturned by FIFA, prompting a reaction from U.S. President Donald Trump.
Celebrating the decision, Trump wrote on his social media platform: “Thank you to FIFA for doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice!”
Neither the White House nor FIFA immediately provided additional public details regarding the reported communication or the review process that led to the reversal of Balogun’s dismissal.
