US President Donald Trump has apparently intervened on behalf of American star forward Folarin Balogun, whose suspension was lifted in a decision that allows him to play in a pivotal World Cup match against Belgium.

Balogun, the American leader with three goals, got a red card for stepping awkwardly on the right ankle of Tarik Muharemović of Bosnia and Herzegovina in a 2-0 round of 32 win last Wednesday (Thursday AEST).

A red card triggers an automatic one-game suspension.

US coach Mauricio Pochettino said Balogun should “never” have received the red card, insisting he was simply “fighting for the ball” and the contact was not intentional.

But after being informed a FIFA spokesman had said the ban could not be appealed, Pochettino appeared to accept he would have to consider “different options” for the match against Belgium.

Then FIFA announced on Sunday (Monday AEST) – without further explanation – that the suspension had been lifted, triggering praise from Trump and outrage from the Belgians.

Trump had called FIFA president Gianni Infantino after the game asking for the red card to be reviewed, according to a person described in US media as “a White House source familiar with the call”.

“Thank you to FIFA for doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice!” Trump – who received the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize last year – wrote on social media.

Commenting on FIFA’s about face, even long-time Trump media ally Fox News said that the President “might have helped it happen”.

The Royal Belgian Football Association said it was “astonished” and Belgium coach Rudi Garcia mocked FIFA’s action.

“I didn’t know that in the offices of FIFA the 5th of July was the 1st of April in Europe,” Garcia said through a translator in an April Fools’ Day comparison.

“The Belgian federation does not defend itself, it does not protect the national team. She defends football in general, she defends her integrity, her ethics. I think it’s the first time in the history of the World Cup that there is this kind of decision.”

Garcia wouldn’t respond when asked about a possible appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport or whether he thought Trump had affected FIFA’s actions.

“To safeguard the legitimate rights of all participating teams and to protect the fundamental principles of fair play in our sport, both at this FIFA World Cup and at future editions of the tournament, the RBFA is investigating all potential options,” the Belgian federation said in a statement.

Balogun’s red card had been one of the most controversial and consequential decisions of the men’s soccer World Cup so far.

“If you look at the foul, it was just zero intent at all,” US star Christian Pulisic said. “I felt like there was much worse ones that went on this tournament.”

The US Soccer Federation learned of FIFA’s action in a message sent by FIFA in its portal on Sunday morning.

“The implementation of the match suspension is suspended for a probationary period of one year,” FIFA said.

“If Folarin Balogun commits another infringement of a similar nature and gravity during the probationary period, the suspension shall be revoked and the sanction enforced without prejudice to any additional sanction imposed for the new infringement.”

English great Gary Neville lashed out on ITV.

“It absolutely stinks,” he said.

“Let’s be really clear. But what I would say is the thing that stinks the most is there should be a review process in place. I actually didn’t think it was a red card, and I think there should be a process which allows it to be overturned.

“But if there’s no process for it to be overturned, and then somehow FIFA from nowhere have just decided to basically let a player play, and the rules [should be] the same for everybody.

“I would be absolutely raging if I was Belgium, and every other team in the tournament that’s had a player sent off that might think it’s been a little bit hard done to. And do you know something, are we surprised? No, not with this lot.”

A 25-year-old who plays for Monaco, Balogun scored 13 Ligue 1 goals last season. He has 12 goals in 30 international appearances.

He was born in Brooklyn to Nigerian parents who were living in London and in 2023 opted to change his national team affiliation from England, which he had represented at the under-21 level.

FIFA said its decision relied on Article 27 of disciplinary committee rules.

“The judicial body may decide to fully or partially suspend the implementation of a disciplinary measure. By suspending the implementation of the sanction, the judicial body subjects the person sanctioned to a probationary period of one to four years,” the rule states.

There is precedent for such a reversal. Last November, FIFA deferred the final two games of a three-match ban for Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo for a red card against Ireland in a World Cup qualifier, allowing him to play at the start of the World Cup.

The US plays Belgium in their World Cup round of 16 match at 10am Tuesday (AEST).

-with AAP