LOS ANGELES — Fifa chief Gianni Infantino yesterday defended the decision to reprieve US World Cup star Folarin Balogun after Donald Trump said he had appealed directly to the head of world football’s governing body over the issue.

Balogun, the US team’s outstanding player at the World Cup, had been set to miss the last-16 game against Belgium in Seattle later Yesterday after receiving a red card in the victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina in the previous round.

But on Sunday Fifa said it was suspending the card, allowing Balogun to play against Belgium, sparking a furore.

The uproar showed no signs of abating with just hours to go until the 5:00 pm (0100 GMT Tuesday) kickoff of the biggest game in the history of American soccer.

Fifa also dismissed Belgium’s appeal over the decision as “inadmissible”.

Belgium’s football association said earlier it had “still not received any decision or any explanation from Fifa regarding this matter”.

Under pressure to explain Fifa’s decision to allow Balogun to play, Infantino insisted yesterday that his organization’s disciplinary process was independent and he could not influence it.

That came after Trump confirmed he had contacted Infantino directly about the red card.

Trump told reporters at the White House he had called Infantino, with whom he has built a close relationship, “because I didn’t think it was a foul”.

“All I did was ask for a review, I didn’t say you have to do this,” Trump added.

Infantino said he had explained to Trump that “there was an ongoing legal process involving Fifa’s independent judicial bodies and that the case would be decided in due course by the competent bodies”.