FIFA President Gianni Infantino obviously realized that he had to go public and take a stand following the uproar caused by the decision to make Folarin Balogun available for the U.S. ahead of the match against Belgium in the World Cup Round of 16, despite his red card in the match against Bosnia.

As decided and announced on Sunday, the tournament’s three-goal scorer will be eligible to play in the match, which kicks off at 3:00 a.m. Cyprus time, since his red card suspension was suspended.

Donald Trump certainly put him in a difficult position when he came out and said he had contacted Infantino regarding this specific issue, with the powerful head of FIFA stating for his part:

“The decision-making committees are independent; they act autonomously in accordance with the protocols and the disciplinary code, and the fact that they are independent is essential for maintaining the integrity of soccer. I spoke with Trump, just as I speak with other government officials, shareholders, businesspeople, and others, about soccer matters.

I explained to the U.S. president that this particular case was still under investigation. I, too, read the disciplinary committee’s decisions, and sometimes I agree, sometimes I disagree. But I always respect them.”

*photo source: AP