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00:02Trump administration officials pushed FIFA to lift Fuller and Balogun's suspension after
00:06a red card in the U.S. team's World Cup knockout win over Bosnia and Herzegovina, according
00:12to the Wall Street Journal.
00:13Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Andrew Giuliani, the executive director of the White
00:18House's World Cup task force and son of Rudy Giuliani, organized calls with Trump and argued
00:23the suspension could hurt the U.S. team against Belgium.
00:25Trump then urged FIFA President Gianni Infantino to review the call.
00:29FIFA later lifted the suspension using Article 27, which it said gives its disciplinary committee
00:35discretion when reviewing sanctions.
00:37FIFA declined to address possible White House influence and said its disciplinary committee
00:41acted independently.
00:43The White House did not respond to the Journal's request for comment.
00:46Coaches from Belgium, Norway, and the U.S. criticized or questioned the reversal.
00:51For all things money, visit Benzinga.com.
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