FIFA backs referee Trump called 'suspicious' over Balogun red card

The stands of Lusail Stadium still hummed with the afterglow of a contentious decision when Pierluigi Collina made his stance clear. The FIFA referees chief threw his full support behind Raphael Claus, the Brazilian official who sent Folarin Balogun off in the Round of 16 clash against Bosnia and Herzegovina. Claus showed the American a straight red card, a call that triggered immediate controversy. The dismissal initially meant Balogun would miss the next match, but that suspension was swiftly overturned following a call between Donald Trump and FIFA president Gianni Infantino. Trump had gone further, publicly labelling Claus "suspicious" in remarks that only deepened the row. Collina, however, dismissed the criticism outright. "Claus is refereeing his second World Cup," he said. "He was with us in Qatar in 2022. He is an experienced and highly respected referee and we have the utmost confidence in him as a reliable match official."

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The Brazilian’s World Cup pedigree is well documented. Four years ago he took charge of England-Iran and Canada-Marokko. In 2024 he officiated the Copa América final between Argentina and Colombia. FIFA’s praise for Claus was unequivocal. In a statement the governing body described him as "one of the world’s leading professional referees and a valued member of Team One—the referees’ corps—at the World Cup."

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The FIFA disciplinary panel acted swiftly after Trump’s intervention. They converted Balogun’s suspension into a suspended ban, allowing the striker to feature in the 4-1 defeat to Belgium in the Round of 16. The decision sparked global outrage.