Prince Harry, who made a surprise appearance at the TIME100 Sports Gala in New York City on Thursday, sent sockwaves with his photo with a star.
The Duke of Sussex posed for his first public engagement after spending a week in England with an American celebrity embroiled in controversy following Donald Trump’s personal intervention to overturn his World Cup suspension.
At the lavish event, the Duke received recognition among TIME’s 100 Most Influential People in Sports 2026 for establishing the Invictus Games, the international sports competition for wounded and ill military personnel.
However, his photo with American striker Folarin Balogun went viral on social media.
Balogun was sent off during the USA’s Round of 16 match against Bosnia and Herzegovina, but FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee subsequently suspended his one-game ban for twelve months, allowing him to feature in the Americans’ Round of 16 loss to Belgium.
The decision sparked fierce debate, with Trump acknowledging that he had personally intervened on behalf of Balogun and the American co-hosts.
On Tuesday, human rights organization FairSquare filed a complaint with the International Olympic Committee, alleging that FIFA president Gianni Infantino violated political neutrality rules in his dealings with the US president over the matter.
Balogun revealed that he had anticipated the backlash that would follow Trump’s involvement.
“My first reaction was that I was happy to be back in the team, but when I started to reflect I knew it was going to create a lot of controversy and I could almost see a bit of nerves in my teammates because it’s something that’s so unique,” he said.
Harry was recognized alongside prominent sports figures including LeBron James and Lindsey Vonn in the leadership category. Birmingham will host next summer’s Invictus Games, with around 550 competitors from around 25 nations expected to take part.
