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President Donald Trump said Monday that he personally asked FIFA chief Gianni Infantino to review the decision to give a red card and one-game ban to Team USA star striker Folarin Balogun — a remarkable intervention that sparked a torrent of controversy at the World Cup.
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FIFA on Sunday announced that Balogun would be eligible to play in the Round of 16 against Belgium Monday night, igniting a political firestorm and questions around the integrity of the tournament.
“All I did was ask for a review. I didn’t say, ‘You have to do this,’” Trump said from the Oval Office, adding that he “didn’t think it was a foul.” He referred to the incident as “two guys running full speed that happened to crash into each other.”
The comments represent the first detailed account from Trump on his conversation with Infantino.
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“I didn’t tell him what to do, I can’t tell him what to do,” he said, adding that an independent committee “made the right decision.”
Trump also called the referee’s integrity into question, saying the referee was a “little bit suspect” as he encouraged reporters to “check his past.”
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This is a breaking story and will be updated.