Why European backlash over Trump intervention won't worry Infantino

Key developments are emerging from the global stage. Why European backlash over Trump intervention won't worry Infantino Figure caption, President Trump on Balogun red-card suspensionByDale Johnson Football issues correspondentPublished15 minutes agoGianni Infantino has been Fifa president for 10 years. Next year, he is up for re-election. From the Fifa Peace Prize, to the vastly inflated ticket prices at the World Cup, to the Club World Cup, Infantino's tenure has been increasingly controversial.

But could the unprecedented decision to cancel Folarin Balogun's red-card suspension for the United States' World Cup last-16 tie against Belgium be the tipping point? In a tournament they have co-hosted, Balogun has been the star man for the US, with three goals so far. Now, despite being sent off, he is available for their next game - even though World Cup rules don't allow appeals against red cards.

The Details

On Monday, more than 24 hours after its initial decision, Fifa released an 871-word statement that shed little light on why it made the call. But someone else has. "I'm the one that got them to do it," said US President Donald Trump when asked if he had put in calls to Infantino.

Trump said "all" he did was ask for a review. He said he did not tell Infantino to suspend Balogun's ban. But that such an intervention happened at all is a major concern across football.

In the US, the narrative has been about unfairness. That Balogun should not miss another game. That being sent off against Bosnia-Herzegovina and missing the rest of that game had been punishment enough.

What Experts Say

Those sentiments were echoed by Trump. Infantino rejected any suggestion there was political interference, insisting the disciplinary committee was independent. But perception is just as important.

The decision has not benefited just any team. It has gone to the co-hosts. Led by Trump - a man who has stood side by side with Infantino and calls the Fifa president his friend.

The suspension of the ban felt like a presidential pardon. "This is our sport, not theirs," said former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp. "If Donald Trump and Gianni Infantino really sorted this out between themselves, it is madness; it calls everything into question.

The story has become one of the most prominent items on the global agenda.