There have been reports that the Donald Trump administration contacted FIFA and requested a review of Folarin Balogun's red card. This sparked major debates around the integrity of decision-making in football governance.

FIFA has strongly denied any external influence, stating that the disciplinary ruling involving Folarin Balogun was reviewed independently and that his suspension status for the USA vs. Belgium match remains strictly based on official regulations.

The situation has added extra controversy and attention ahead of the fixture, with fans now split between discussions of sporting fairness and off-field political interference claims.

Personally, I believe politics should NOT influence such decisions. If FIFA’s stance was swayed simply by a call or two from Trump, this would put FIFA’s reputation in hot water.