Turin, July 6 (LaPresse) – “Yes, I regularly discuss issues related to the World Cup with the President of the United States and, in that regard, I received a phone call from President Donald Trump, just as I receive phone calls from heads of state, government officials, leading figures in the world of football and business executives from around the world on various matters.” FIFA President Gianni Infantino said this in a statement regarding the Balogun case, the U.S. striker whose one-match suspension at the World Cup was suspended, confirming the phone call with the President of the United States. “During our conversation I explained that disciplinary proceedings involving FIFA’s independent judicial bodies were underway and that the case would be assessed in due course by the competent bodies,” he explained. “That is how the FIFA system works, and it is a principle I will always uphold.” Infantino then specified: “FIFA’s judicial bodies are independent. They operate autonomously, apply the FIFA Disciplinary Code and decide cases on the basis of the applicable regulations and the specific facts presented. Their independence is essential to the credibility and integrity of football and must always be respected. I read the decisions of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee when they are published. Sometimes I am surprised by them, sometimes I agree with them, sometimes I do not. What I always do, however, is respect those decisions and the autonomy of the bodies that make them. Whether or not I personally like a decision is irrelevant. Respect for independent institutions and the rule of law is what protects the integrity of our competitions and the credibility of FIFA at all times.”
2026 World Cup, Infantino: “I speak with Trump and leading figures from around the world”
Turin, July 6 (LaPresse) – “Yes, I regularly discuss issues related to the World Cup with the President of the United States and, in that regard, I received a phone call from President Donald Trump, just as I receive phone calls from heads of state, government officials, leading figures in the world of football and business executives from around the world on various matters.” FIFA President Gianni Infantino said this in a statement regarding the Balogun case, the U.S. striker whose one-match suspension at the World Cup was suspended, confirming the phone call with the President of the United States. “During our conversation I explained that disciplinary proceedings involving FIFA’s independent judicial bodies were underway and that the case would be assessed in due course by the competent bodies,” he explained. “That is how the FIFA system works, and it is a principle I will always uphold.” Infantino then specified: “FIFA’s judicial bodies are independent. They operate autonomously, apply the FIFA Disciplinary Code and decide cases on the basis of the applicable regulations and the specific facts presented. Their independence is essential to the credibility and integrity of football and must always be respected. I read the decisions of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee when they are published. Sometimes I am surprised by them, sometimes I agree with them, sometimes I do not. What I always do, however, is respect those decisions and the autonomy of the bodies that make them. Whether or not I personally like a decision is irrelevant. Respect for independent institutions and the rule of law is what protects the integrity of our competitions and the credibility of FIFA at all times.”
