Allardyce blasts Trump and Infantino over 'scandalous' Balogun ban suspension at World Cup

Former England manager Sam Allardyce has launched a scathing attack on Donald Trump and FIFA president Gianni Infantino following the controversial suspension of Folarin Balogun’s one-game World Cup ban, which allowed the United States striker to play in their last-16 tie against Belgium. The intervention came after Trump personally contacted Infantino to request the ban be lifted, prompting FIFA’s independent Disciplinary Committee to invoke Article 27 of FIFA regulations and rule Balogun available for the match.

The USA ultimately lost the game 4-1, but the manner of Balogun’s reinstatement drew widespread outrage from nations competing at the tournament, with many suggesting the decision reflected favouritism toward the host nation’s president given his well-documented closeness with Infantino.

Allardyce, 71, was unsparing in his criticism. “What’s it got to do with Infantino? He’s not in charge of the rules,” he said. “What does Donald Trump know about football? Absolutely zero. It’s not even within his domain or his power apart from what he’s done. He’s put the game to shame on this. It’s scandalous, scandalous.”

The former England boss also highlighted what he described as a glaring inconsistency in FIFA’s handling of disciplinary matters. While Balogun’s ban was suspended, Jarell Quansah’s ban for England was actually increased from one game to two following the same Disciplinary Committee review. Allardyce argued that the selective application of leniency undermined the entire disciplinary framework. “So everybody should have their red cards suspended in this World Cup now?” he said. “There’s no ‘just on this occasion it’s that one, because of this and that’ — it’s either that or it’s not that.”

Allardyce also praised UEFA for publicly condemning the decision and suggested European football should consider a more assertive response to FIFA’s governance. “The good thing is that UEFA have come out and said it’s a disgrace,” he said. “Right now, they should say, ‘We’re breaking away from you, we don’t like what you’re doing, we don’t like what you’re controlling, we’ll control our own’.”

Infantino has since sought to distance himself from the outcome, claiming he informed Trump that he had no power to directly influence decisions made by the independent panel. That clarification has done little to dampen the backlash, with criticism continuing to mount from across the football world.