FIFA's Decision on Balogun Stirs Controversy

FIFA has "crossed a red line" with its choice to suspend the one-game ban for US player Folarin Balogun for a year, UEFA said on Monday.

FIFA's ruling allows Balogun to play in the World Cup last 16 match against Belgium later on Monday. This decision came after Donald Trump intervened.

“Yesterday’s decision to suspend for a probationary period of a year the implementation of the one-match automatic suspension following the red card issued to the player Folarin Balogun crossed a red line,” UEFA stated strongly.

“Football, like any other sports, relies on rules, which are the basis for fair, honest and transparent competition. Sometimes rules are open to interpretation. In this case not.”

UEFA expressed concern about the impact this could have on football.

“Football is the most loved sport in the world because it is a beautiful game and is trusted because it is played everywhere with the same laws,” UEFA said.

“A tournament is never a pure standalone and, if the tournament in question is the World Cup, it has the power to drive positive or negative consequences on the game as a whole.”

“We express our disbelief at such an unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable decision.”

Balogun has scored three goals in the World Cup. He was supposed to miss the match in Seattle after getting a straight red card for stepping on a Bosnia-Herzegovina defender’s foot in the round-of-32 match, which the US won 2-0.

According to FIFA rules, a straight red card means an automatic one-game ban.

Trump reached out to FIFA president Gianni Infantino to ask him to review Balogun’s punishment, two sources told AFP.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also publicly demanded the card be rescinded.

FIFA’s disciplinary committee made the decision to suspend the ban. FIFA announced on Sunday that the ban will be put on hold for a year. No specific explanation was given for this surprising move.

“Thank you to FIFA for doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice!” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform.

The Belgians were shocked by the decision.

“I didn’t know that at the FIFA World Cup, the 5th of July is now the 1st of April, and that it’s April Fool’s Day,” Belgium coach Rudi Garcia told reporters.