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Infantino is also accused of violating neutrality regarding US President Donald Trump.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has been asked to investigate whether Gianni Infantino was involved in the decision to suspend U.S. forward Folarin Balogun’s one-match World Cup ban — a claim the FIFA president, who is an IOC member, has denied.
— The Athletic | Football (@TheAthleticFC) July 14, 2026
The request was made by… pic.twitter.com/q0sGh89c0O
US World Cup 2026 Scandal: The Details
It should be noted that ahead of the USA vs. Belgium match, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee made history by rescinding a player's red card for the first time ever.
Belgian media claimed that this occurred following a phone call from US President Donald Trump to FIFA head Gianni Infantino.
The President indirectly confirmed this version of events on Truth Social, thanking the organization for staying the American player's suspension.
Meanwhile, Infantino himself noted that the FIFA Disciplinary Committee operates autonomously from the organization's leadership and that he does not influence its decisions.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino:
— FIFA Media (@fifamedia) July 6, 2026
“I have seen the public comments regarding the decision of the independent FIFA Disciplinary Committee related to the suspension of Folarin Balogun, and I would like to reiterate a fundamental principle of FIFA’s governance.
“FIFA’s judicial… pic.twitter.com/FzeWuMQIXf
USA Crashes Out of 2026 World Cup in Heavy Defeat
As a reminder, the US national team lost to Belgium in their 2026 World Cup round-of-16 match. The Belgians opened the scoring in the 9th minute through forward Charles De Ketelaere.
In the 31st minute, American midfielder Malik Tillman equalized with a free kick, but just two minutes later, De Ketelaere put his side back in front.
Later, in the 57th minute, Hans Vanaken beat the goalkeeper to extend the Belgian lead, and Romelu Lukaku sealed the rout in the closing stages. The final score was 1-4.
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Earlier, British media reacted to the referee appointment for the England vs. Argentina World Cup semifinal. They fear that the official may be biased.
