Trump Hails FIFA for Lifting World Cup Suspension of Star US Player -- Who is a Birthright Citizen: Thanks for 'Reversing a Great Injustice!'

Trump hails FIFA for lifting a World Cup suspension for U.S. forward Folarin Balogun, presenting it as a reversal of an “injustice.” In a Sunday Truth Social post, President Donald Trump thanked FIFA after the governing body suspended the red-card outcome from Balogun’s previous match, clearing him to play Monday night against Belgium in the Round of 16. The FIFA decision relied on a seldom-cited bylaw that suspends a red card, which would otherwise have made Balogun ineligible. The article notes an irony: Balogun’s eligibility for the U.S. squad stems from birthright citizenship, a policy Trump has opposed. It adds that Balogun’s mother, a British citizen, gave birth to him in New York in 2001 before returning to the U.K., after an airline prevented her from flying home. The piece also flags scrutiny of Trump’s ties to FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who received a FIFA Peace Prize in 2025.