USA face Belgium and World Cup date with destiny after Trump intervention

The United States face the biggest day of soccer in their history on Monday as they play Belgium in what will be a spicy encounter for a place in the World Cup quarter-finals after an intervention by Donald Trump further fired up the Belgians.

They are furious US star striker Folarin Balogun can play after a one match ban was suspended for a year — the decision came after Trump phoned Fifa chief Gianni Infantino.

The Royal Belgian Football Association said in a statement it had “no alternative but to challenge the player’s eligibility for the upcoming match.”

Balogun, who has scored three goals at the World Cup, had been set to miss the clash in Seattle after receiving a straight red card following a video review for stepping on a Bosnia-Herzegovina defender’s foot in the round-of-32 match that the US won 2-0.

Under Fifa rules, a straight red card automatically triggers a one-game ban.

Trump called Infantino asking him to review Balogun’s punishment, two sources familiar with the matter told AFP.