Juergen Klopp harshly criticized FIFA's decision to lift the suspension of American footballer Folarin Balogun

Juergen Klopp, the former coach of FC Liverpool, expressed his outrage at reports that the President of the United States, Donald Trump, allegedly tried to influence the cancellation of the suspension of American footballer Folarin Balogun before the match against Belgium in the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup. Klopp stated that this incident calls into question the integrity of the game, emphasizing that Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino have no knowledge of football and should not intervene in such decisions.

Balogun had been suspended after receiving a red card in the match against Bosnia and Herzegovina, and FIFA's decision to make him eligible for the match against Belgium was met with surprise by the Belgian team, which announced that it would investigate legal options. Klopp criticized the cancellation of the suspension, mentioning that while wrong decisions are part of the game, we must learn to live with them. Klopp is considered a favorite to take over as the coach of Germany following Julian Nagelsmann's resignation.