Star striker Folarin Balogun was born in New York to Nigerian parents visiting the U.S. It’s the type of citizenship Trump has sought to restrict.
By Candice Norwood/ The 19th This story was originally published by The 19th
Apparently, President Donald Trump will support a recipient of birthright citizenship when it’s a member of the U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team.
Trump stated in a press conference Monday that he asked FIFA to review U.S. soccer player Folarin Balogun’s red card suspension before the organization reversed its decision, which will allow the star striker to play in Monday night’s match against Belgium.
Balogun is a recipient of birthright citizenship, born in Brooklyn to Nigerian parents who were traveling through New York City. His family ultimately returned to where they were living in the United Kingdom, but Balogun’s citizenship has allowed him to play for the U.S. men’s national team.
“If they wouldn’t allow a top player — maybe the best, maybe among the best players on the team — to play, I think it would have had a big stain,” Trump said.
The president has been on a mission to end birthright citizenship since his first term, culminating in a ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court on June 30 that affirmed the 158-year-old constitutional right granting citizenship to most children born on U.S. soil.
The high-profile case came in response to an executive order signed by Trump on the first day of his second term seeking to ban automatic citizenship for babies born to noncitizen immigrants.
Trump called the high court’s ruling “too bad for our Country,” in a post on Truth Social, adding that he would support legislation to change the long-settled law.
Balogun received a red card after stepping on the ankle of a Bosnian player on Wednesday, triggering an automatic one-game suspension. FIFA’s reversal on the disciplinary ruling after Trump’s intervention is highly unusual and sparked widespread criticism. The Union of European Football Associations expressed “disbelief at such an unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable decision.”
The U.S. went on to fall 1-4 to Belgium, ending its World Cup 2026 run.
