The United States’ World Cup campaign took an extraordinary turn on Sunday when FIFA suspended striker Folarin Balogun‘s red-card ban, clearing him to play after President Donald Trump personally urged FIFA President Gianni Infantino to review the case.
The unprecedented move also thrust FIFA’s disciplinary process into the global spotlight and prompted an angry response from Belgium, who play the U.S. on Monday for a place in the quarter-finals.
It also ensured that one of the tournament’s biggest talking points will centre not on tactics or team selection, but on the relationship between football’s governing body and political power.
Within minutes, Sunday’s decision was dominating sports bulletins and talk shows as pundits, commentators and former players argued over whether FIFA had upheld justice or undermined its own rules.
As questions mounted over the circumstances surrounding the move, FIFA did not respond to Reuters requests for comment about the decision and Trump’s call with Infantino.
Balogun scored his third goal of the World Cup in Thursday’s 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina but was sent off for planting his boot into the ankle of defender Tarik Muharemovic.
The 25-year-old was dismissed after a VAR review, with U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino saying it was never a red-card offence.
Trump called Infantino to ask world soccer’s governing body to review the sending-off, according to a source briefed on the call.
FIFA is allowing Balogun to play without rescinding the red card.
“In line with article 27 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, the implementation of the match suspension is suspended for a probationary period of one year,” FIFA said in a statement.
“If Folarin Balogun commits another infringement of a similar nature and gravity during the probationary period, the suspension shall be revoked and the sanction enforced without prejudice to any additional sanction imposed for the new infringement.”
The judicial body has the discretion to fully or partially suspend the implementation of a disciplinary sanction.
Source: Reuters
