FIFA chief lifted US ace's ban — then came Trump Tower, a peace prize and years of access

FIFA's decision to suspend the suspension of US striker Folarin Balogun — following a phone call from President Donald Trump — has put a fresh spotlight on the close relationship between Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino. The episode has renewed questions about whether the bond the two men have cultivated for years is now influencing FIFA's own decision-making, with the World Cup already underway.

According to The New York Times, Trump called Infantino on July 2 and asked him to reconsider Balogun's ban. Balogun had been shown a straight red card for stepping on an opposing defender's foot during the United States' round-of-32 match against Bosnia and Herzegovina, leaving him ineligible under FIFA rules to play in the round-of-16 clash against Belgium.

FIFA invoked Article 27 of its disciplinary regulations to suspend the one-match ban for one year, allowing Balogun to take the field against Belgium. Trump posted on his Truth Social platform shortly after the ruling: "Thank you to FIFA for doing the right thing and correcting a tremendous injustice."

Belgium's football federation immediately called the decision "shocking," and the episode quickly refocused attention across the football world on the Trump-Infantino relationship.

According to The New York Times, the two men's relationship began at the White House in 2018. Shortly after the United States, Canada and Mexico were confirmed as joint World Cup hosts, Infantino visited Trump and presented him with a FIFA uniform and a referee's yellow card. Trump subsequently took to calling him "King of Soccer," and the friendship continued from there.

The relationship grew significantly closer, however, after Trump returned to power. During the Biden administration, Infantino sought to deepen ties with the US government but received a lukewarm response. The White House at the time kept its distance partly because of FIFA's past corruption scandals.

Since Trump's return to office, Infantino has attended his inauguration, White House events, diplomatic engagements, and gatherings at Mar-a-Lago and Trump National Doral golf club, steadily deepening the bond.

FIFA has also been renting office space on the 17th floor of Trump Tower in New York for the past year. The rent has gone to Trump's family business, though football insiders told The New York Times the office has in effect gone almost entirely unused.

At the 2026 World Cup group-stage draw held at the Kennedy Center in Washington last December, Infantino presented Trump with the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize. The draw had originally been scheduled for Las Vegas before the venue was switched to Washington. Trump called the award "one of the greatest honors of my life."

Infantino has also accompanied Trump on his Middle East tour and made multiple visits to the White House — an unusually close alignment with political power for a FIFA president. The New York Times reported that he has consistently sought Trump's favor through public praise, gifts and frequent contact.

Concern is mounting inside FIFA and across European football. European football officials have criticized Infantino for prioritizing Trump's diplomatic schedule over FIFA congress meetings, saying he has "put personal political interests ahead of football." The Football Federation of Norway has also signaled its support for ethics proceedings, citing potential damage to FIFA's political neutrality.

Infantino's camp, for its part, argues that maintaining close ties with the host government is unavoidable for the tournament to succeed. The US government holds direct authority over a wide range of World Cup logistics — visa issuance, immigration policy, stadium security, the entry of foreign delegations and overall tournament operations.

The New York Times, citing senior FIFA officials, reported that informal discussions with the US government over immigration enforcement around World Cup venues appear to have taken place. FIFA denied that any separate agreement had been reached, but concerns have consistently been raised within football circles that the Trump administration's immigration policies could affect the tournament's appeal and crowd turnout.