UEFA slams FIFA's 'incomprehensible' Balogun decision after Trump call

European football governing body UEFA has lashed out at FIFA's decision to suspend US striker Folarin Balogun's red-card ban in the World Cup, after US President Donald Trump's controversial intervention.

Trump called FIFA to ask it to review the case, and UEFA say world football's governing body had "crossed a red line" and undermined the integrity of the game.

"We express our disbelief at such an unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable decision," UEFA said in a statement on Monday.

"When the certainty of rules is no longer guaranteed by its guardians, the integrity of the game is at stake and the credibility of a competition is undermined."

Reuters has reached out to FIFA for comment.

Balogun, who has scored three goals for the U.S. in the tournament, was sent off after a VAR review for dragging his boot down the back of defender Tarik Muharemovic's leg and onto his foot during their win over Bosnia in the round of 32.

Trump had asked FIFA president Gianni Infantino to review Balogun's red card, which would have automatically suspended the player from Monday's round of 16 clash with Belgium.

"All I did, I asked for a review, because I didn't think it was a foul," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.

"I saw the play. That wasn't a foul. That wasn't even an infraction. That was two guys running whole speed that happened to crash into each other."

He said FIFA made a "really brilliant decision" to suspend the red card. "I think the referee's call was horrible," he said.

"I didn't tell them what to do. I can't tell them what to do."

Trump added it was important for team USA to have its best players on the field.

FIFA suspended the implementation of the ban for a probationary period of one year, however, without rescinding the red card.

The stunning move has thrust FIFA's disciplinary process into the spotlight and prompted an angry response from the Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA), which said it was "astonished" by FIFA's decision.

FIFA has since rejected Belgium's letter seeking a copy of the decision to make Balogun eligible after treating it as an inadmissible appeal.

The RBFA said it had had "only a few hours" to act, while no information was provided by FIFA.

"For an appeal to be admissible, FIFA's own regulations state that the reasoned decision must first have been communicated to the appellant," the RBFA said in a statement.

"While the RBFA was merely seeking legitimate explanations, FIFA itself created an appeal and immediately ensured that it would be declared inadmissible.

"All of this occurred while FIFA simultaneously refused to respond to the RBFA's legitimate requests.

"It therefore has no alternative but to challenge the player's eligibility for the upcoming match.

"Regardless of the sporting outcome of this match, the RBFA is deeply concerned by the course of events and will continue to fight in the coming hours, days and months in defence of the fundamental principles of ethics, fair competition, and the interests of football as a whole."