Trump Called FIFA's President to Fight Balogun's Red Card
President Trump personally called FIFA president Gianni Infantino to push for a review of USMNT star Folarin Balogun's red card suspension. Here's what it means.
In brief
President Donald Trump personally called FIFA president Gianni Infantino to request a review of the red card suspension handed to U.S. Men's National Team striker Folarin Balogun. The direct presidential intervention — extraordinary by any diplomatic standard — came as the United States co-hosts the 2026 FIFA World Cup, raising immediate questions about political pressure on international sports governance.
⚡ Key Takeaways
Trump called FIFA president Gianni Infantino directly to seek a review of Folarin Balogun's red card suspension.
Balogun is one of the USMNT's most dangerous attacking players entering the knockout rounds of the 2026 World Cup.
The call represents an unprecedented level of U.S. executive involvement in FIFA disciplinary proceedings.
The 2026 World Cup is co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico — giving Washington unusual leverage over FIFA's operational presence on American soil.
FIFA has not publicly confirmed whether it will reopen the disciplinary review.
A Presidential Call That Broke Every Protocol
Sitting presidents don't typically call the heads of international sports federations to dispute referee decisions. Trump did. According to the New York Post, the former and current president reached out directly to Infantino — a man he has cultivated a conspicuously warm relationship with since the United States was awarded co-hosting rights for the 2026 tournament — to advocate for a suspension review on behalf of Balogun.
The move is vintage Trump: transactional, loud, and designed to dominate the news cycle. But inside the Beltway, where sports diplomacy rarely makes it past the West Wing's radar, the call lands differently. This is a president leveraging the soft power of World Cup hosting to pressure a Geneva-based governing body — and doing so openly, without apology.
Balogun, 23, is the son of Nigerian and American parents and carries dual eligibility history between England and the United States. He committed to the USMNT and has emerged as one of Gregg Berhalter's — and now the current U.S. coaching staff's — most lethal offensive weapons. Losing him to suspension during a deep World Cup run on home soil would be a genuine sporting crisis for a nation that has staked enormous national pride on this tournament.
Who Is Folarin Balogun — and Why His Suspension Matters
Folarin Balogun is not a peripheral squad player. He is among the most technically gifted American forwards of his generation, having cut his teeth in Arsenal's academy before loan spells across Europe that sharpened him into a genuine goal threat at the senior international level. His pace, movement off the ball, and finishing ability in tight spaces make him close to irreplaceable in the USMNT's current tactical setup.
A red card suspension in a knockout-round World Cup — hosted in stadiums from SoFi in Los Angeles to MetLife in East Rutherford to Commanders Field right here in the DMV — is not a minor inconvenience. It is a potential tournament-altering blow. U.S. Soccer has not publicly commented on the specifics of the Trump call, but the federation's silence speaks volumes: no one in the U.S. Soccer ecosystem is rushing to put distance between themselves and a presidential assist.
The 2026 World Cup, according to FIFA, will feature 48 nations across 16 cities in the United States, Canada, and Mexico — the largest men's World Cup in history. Washington's RFK Stadium precinct and the broader DMV sports infrastructure have been part of the civic conversation around the tournament's footprint, making the host-nation dynamics even more charged.
This story isn't just sports news. Inside Washington, it is a live case study in what happens when a president who treats every institution as a negotiating counterpart turns his attention to international sports governance. The question being asked in think tanks from Dupont Circle to the Brookings Institution isn't whether Trump had the right to call Infantino — he can call anyone he likes. The question is whether FIFA, an organization that guards its independence from political interference as a founding principle, will respond.
FIFA's own statutes, as documented in FIFA's governance framework, explicitly prohibit member associations from allowing government interference in football matters — a rule that has seen national associations suspended in the past. The United States co-hosting a World Cup creates an almost impossible tension: the host government holds enormous logistical leverage, yet FIFA's rules demand arms-length distance from that same government.
Gianni Infantino, who relocated to Riyadh in 2023 and has built a reputation for pragmatic accommodation of powerful political actors, now faces a choice. Reopening the review signals that presidential phone calls work. Refusing signals friction with the host nation's head of state — mid-tournament.
For DC's own political class, this is familiar terrain. The transactional use of access and leverage is the city's native language. What's unusual is watching that language applied to a FIFA appeals board rather than a Senate subcommittee. Follow ongoing coverage of DC's political power moves at WDCM's DC Politics Guide and our DC Power Players Index.
The Precedent Problem — and What FIFA Does Next
Sports governance experts will flag this moment for years. If FIFA reopens the Balogun suspension review following a direct call from a sitting U.S. president, it sets a precedent with no clean limiting principle. Every host nation leader at every future World Cup will have observed what a phone call can accomplish.
Alternatively, if FIFA holds firm and refuses to review the red card, Trump has already achieved a secondary objective: demonstrating to his base that he fights for American athletes and American victories with the same combative energy he brings to tariff negotiations and NATO disputes. The call itself — regardless of outcome — is the message.
The USMNT's run in the 2026 World Cup carries weight far beyond ninety minutes of football. For a generation of American soccer fans who grew up watching the sport colonize youth leagues from Bethesda to Anacostia, this tournament represents a cultural arrival. Balogun's availability or absence will directly shape how far that arrival goes.
Track the full arc of DC's sports and power dynamics with WDCM's DC Power Index and Power Moves coverage.
Why This Matters in Washington
Washington has a complicated relationship with soccer's rise. The sport has grown fastest in the region's immigrant communities — from the Salvadoran families in Mount Pleasant to the Ethiopian diaspora in Silver Spring — making the USMNT's multicultural roster, of which Balogun is emblematic, a genuinely representative team for a genuinely diverse metropolitan area. A Trump intervention on behalf of that player creates an ideological dissonance that DC's political class will chew on for weeks.
More structurally: the call underscores that the 2026 World Cup is not just a sporting event for this city. It is a geopolitical asset, a diplomatic venue, and a domestic political tool — all at once. The White House clearly understands that. Whether FIFA does is the next question Washington will be watching closely.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Trump call FIFA about Folarin Balogun's red card? Trump called FIFA president Gianni Infantino to request a review of Balogun's red card suspension, citing what he reportedly believes was an unjust call that could sideline one of the USMNT's best players during the 2026 World Cup on home soil.
Who is Folarin Balogun? Folarin Balogun is a 23-year-old American striker who trained in Arsenal's academy and played across European leagues before committing his international future to the U.S. Men's National Team. He is considered one of the most dangerous attacking players in the current USMNT setup.
Can FIFA legally respond to pressure from a national government? FIFA's own statutes prohibit member associations from allowing government interference in football matters. However, the host-nation relationship creates a unique tension that has no clean precedent at this scale.
Has a U.S. president ever intervened in a FIFA disciplinary matter before? No sitting U.S. president is known to have directly called FIFA leadership to contest a specific disciplinary ruling. This call appears to be without modern precedent in American sports diplomacy.
Where is the 2026 FIFA World Cup being played? The 2026 World Cup is co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, with U.S. venues including MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, and AT&T Stadium in Dallas, among others across 11 American cities.
What happens if FIFA refuses to review the suspension? Balogun would serve the suspension and miss at least one knockout-round match. FIFA refusing would also signal that the organization is maintaining independence from host-government pressure — but at the cost of friction with the sitting U.S. president mid-tournament.
The bottom line: Trump's call to Gianni Infantino over Folarin Balogun's red card suspension is simultaneously a sports story, a governance story, and a Washington power story. It reveals how the United States is wielding its host-nation status as active diplomatic leverage — and puts FIFA in the uncomfortable position of either accommodating presidential pressure or resisting the head of state of its most commercially vital host country. Watch for FIFA's formal response, U.S. Soccer's public posture, and whether Balogun takes the field in the USMNT's next match. That outcome will tell you everything about who actually won this particular negotiation.
What to Watch Next: FIFA's official ruling on the suspension review, the USMNT's next fixture, and whether the Infantino-Trump relationship — forged around the World Cup bid — holds under this kind of public pressure. WDCM will update this story as developments break.
Reporting drawn from: New York Post. Washington DC Magazine provides original analysis, DC-specific context, and editorial perspective beyond the source material.This article was produced with AI assistance and reviewed by WDCM editorial staff. Washington DC Magazine is committed to accuracy, transparency, and editorial integrity. If you believe any information in this article requires correction, please contact editor@washingtondcmagazine.com.
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CAN I KICK IT? screens New Jack City at the Sylvan Theater, Washington Monument, on Aug. 22. (Courtesy SHAOLIN JAZZ)
The live-cinema series CAN I KICK IT? returns to the National Mall this month with what its producers are calling the "Gangsters on the Mall" chapter of their free outdoor summer run. On Saturday, August 22, the SHAOLIN JAZZ production brings the 1991 crime classic New Jack City to the Sylvan Theater at the Washington Monument for a night of film, music, and community under the DC summer sky.
What sets the event apart is the sound. As the film plays, DJ 2-Tone Jones builds an original score in real time, reimagining one of the most iconic crime movies of the ’90s through hip-hop, soul, funk, and more. It is less a movie screening than a live performance built around the film.
The details:
Film: New Jack City (1991), with a live soundtrack by DJ 2-Tone Jones
When: Saturday, August 22 — seating opens at 7:30 p.m. (bring lawn chairs and blankets); film begins at 8:30 p.m.
Where: Sylvan Theater at the Washington Monument, Independence Ave SW & 15th St NW
A parking note from the organizers: expect road closures and restricted parking east of 14th Street NW due to a separate race event in the District. Roads west of 14th Street NW will be accessible and available for parking.
New Jack City is the second of three screenings in this year’s free CAN I KICK IT? outdoor series, which opened with Black Panther at Skyland Town Center and concludes with Scarface at the Lincoln Memorial on September 5. Produced by the Washington, DC-based multimedia arts company SHAOLIN JAZZ, the series has presented more than 150 live cinematic experiences at venues across the country, from Lincoln Center to SXSW.
"I wanted to be able to tell good stories with substance and remove the ‘ego’ out of the art," said Andrew Huang during a recent interview. Now, he’s building his career at the intersection of discipline, creativity and innovation.
Andrew Huang, founder of New Place Studios. (Courtesy photo)
As a Chinese American, Huang was reared with a deep respect for hard work, consistency and excellence. He describes his childhood as "not so affluent" and later attended college to hone his passion for videography. "In college I tried to do something I loved, which was video, but along the way I knew that I had to find a job. And so I thought, ‘what was the low hanging fruit to get to that stable 9 to 5 job?,’" he stated.
Later in life, Huang found himself working for corporations where his creativity was often limited, eventually leading to burnout. "I worked in a corporation for a long time and there were a lot of missing pieces. I wanted to fill in gaps missing in corporate video production," said Huang.
He later described how his upbringing and a mindset of "survival" led him toward a corporate career. However, his desire for balance and authentic storytelling ultimately pushed him to take the entrepreneurial leap.
"I founded a new place where you can create video and film with ‘substance and style,’" said Huang. His desire for work-life balance and passion for storytelling naturally evolved into a small business based in Virginia. With the launch of New Place Studios, the entrepreneur quickly found himself reconnecting with the values that would become the foundation of everything he creates behind the camera.
Huang said being a business owner has allowed him to first embrace himself. While others may see video as simply capturing moments, he sees it as a way to preserve stories that inspire, connect and leave a lasting imprint.
By combining cinematic visuals with cutting-edge production techniques and a keen understanding of branding, Huang helps organizations and individuals communicate their vision with purpose. He said understanding a client’s "why" serves as the compass for delivering the services they need.
One benefit of working with a small business, he said, is that clients get to see the production process unfold through a micro lens while working with the same faces throughout the entire project. "The work feels personal," said Huang.
Huang does not regret leaving behind the flash-over-substance mentality and corporate hustle culture. That does not mean the Asian American entrepreneur has been without challenges in the industry. "It’s relatively hard to find other Asian American creatives or people who would want to work with me in the DMV," said Huang.
He identifies the industry culture in which everyone is trying to blend in, creatives may fear displaying their Asian identity and some feel pressure to adopt an American corporate persona. He also points to what he describes as a level of gatekeeping within the industry. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration’s 2024 statistics, Asian American and Pacific Islander entrepreneurs own more than 3 million businesses and employ 5.2 million people in the United States.
After tapping into organizations such as SCORE, which offers free small business mentorship, New Place Studios has become a trusted creative partner throughout the DMV (Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia). The company produces a range of creative services, including commercials, corporate branding, documentaries, film, 2D animation, motion graphics and photography.
For Huang, entrepreneurship has become more than a departure from corporate life. It has given him the freedom to create with intention, build meaningful connections and tell stories that go beyond the surface.
The 2026 CAN I KICK IT? outdoor series. Poster courtesy of SHAOLIN JAZZ.
For three Saturdays this summer, some of Washington’s most familiar public spaces will do something they rarely do after dark: fill up with blankets, lawn chairs, and the sound of a movie being scored live, in real time. CAN I KICK IT?, the traveling “live cinema” series produced by the DC-based multimedia arts company SHAOLIN JAZZ, is bringing a free outdoor run to the city — pairing three era-defining films with an original soundtrack performed on the spot by DJ 2-Tone Jones.
The premise is what sets it apart from a normal screening in the park. Rather than simply pressing play, 2-Tone Jones builds a score as the film unfolds, pulling from hip-hop, soul, funk, jazz, rock, electronic music, and sounds from around the world. The result, the organizers say, is less a movie night than a one-time performance — the same film you know, wired to a soundtrack you have never heard and will not hear again. Guest DJs warm up the crowd starting at 7:30 PM before each 8:30 PM screening.
The 2026 outdoor schedule
All three events are free and open to the public.
Saturday, August 8 — Black Panther at Skyland Town Center. A pop-up marketplace and community activities kick off the evening; guest DJs at 7:30 PM, film at 8:30 PM. Marvel’s superhero epic gets a one-night-only live score in Southeast DC.
Saturday, August 22 — New Jack City at the Sylvan Theater, Washington Monument. Seating begins at 7:30 PM; the film starts at 8:30 PM. The 1991 crime drama plays out at the foot of one of the country’s most recognizable landmarks.
Saturday, September 5 — Scarface at the Lincoln Memorial. Seating at 7:30 PM; film at 8:30 PM. The series closes with Brian De Palma’s crime saga against the backdrop of the Memorial, scored live from start to finish.
First up: Black Panther at Skyland Town Center on August 8. Poster courtesy of SHAOLIN JAZZ.
A DC company with a national footprint
SHAOLIN JAZZ describes itself as a Washington-based arts company working at the intersection of music, film, art, and culture, and CAN I KICK IT? is its signature production. According to the organizers, the series has staged more than 150 live cinematic experiences around the country — at performing arts centers, museums, festivals, and cultural institutions including Lincoln Center in New York, SXSW, the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Republic Square in Austin, the Tacoma Armory, and The Cary Theater.
“CAN I KICK IT? has always been about creating a shared experience,” said Gerald Watson, co-founder of SHAOLIN JAZZ. “When you combine iconic films with live music in public spaces, something special happens. People aren’t just watching a movie — they’re experiencing it together. That’s what makes these nights so memorable.”
Cinema as a community event
The DC run lands as cities across the country look for new ways to activate public space through arts and culture — and this series is a straightforward pitch for how to do it: take a landmark everyone already knows, add a film everyone has an opinion about, and let a live soundtrack turn the evening into something neighbors experience shoulder to shoulder. Families, film buffs, and music fans are all invited, and admission won’t cost a thing.
The CAN I KICK IT? outdoor series runs August 8, August 22, and September 5. All events are free; check SHAOLIN JAZZ (shaolinjazz.com) for the latest details and any weather updates before heading out.
