The United States' World Cup campaign took an extraordinary turn on Sunday when FIFA seemingly broke with its own rules to allow star player Folarin Balogun to face Belgium in Monday's last-16 clash despite receiving a red card in the round of 32 match against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday.
The global football body announced that it had suspended the red card — which had meant an automatic one-match ban for Balogun — after US President Donald Trump personally urged FIFA President Gianni Infantino to review the case. Balogun, who plays his club football for Monaco in France, has scored three goals for the US at this World Cup, and is the team's leading scorer in the tournament.
The FIFA decision prompted criticism from Belgium's football association, Europe's top football body UEFA, a former FIFA boss, and multiple top former players among others. Critics argued that overturning a red-card suspension after direct political intervention undermined the integrity of the tournament and set a dangerous precedent.
Balogun received a red card for stepping awkwardly on the right ankle of Tarik Muharemovic of Bosnia-Herzegovina in a 2-0 win for the US. The 25-year-old was sent off after a VAR review, with US coach Mauricio Pochettino saying it was never a red card offence. FIFA relied on Article 27 of disciplinary committee rules to reverse the ban, which allows suspending a disciplinary measure with a probationary period.
This is the first time since 1962 that a red card during a World Cup has not resulted in a suspension. At the 1962 World Cup, Brazilian star Garrincha received a red card but was let off with a warning. More recently, Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo was allowed to play after FIFA suspended part of his ban.
The Royal Belgian Football Association said it was "astonished" and is investigating all potential options. Belgium coach Rudi Garcia mocked FIFA's action, comparing it to an April Fools' Day joke. UEFA released a statement saying the decision "crossed a red line" and expressed "disbelief at such an unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable decision."
Former FIFA chief Sepp Blatter criticized the decision, writing on X: "Red cards are not overturned by political phone calls." Norway coach Stale Solbakken called it a "bad, bad, bad, bad, bad decision." England coach Thomas Tuchel questioned where this would stop, while football pundits Ian Wright and Roy Keane also rebuked the decision.
Trump called FIFA president Gianni Infantino after the game, according to the Associated Press. "Thank you to FIFA for doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice!" Trump wrote on social media. US coach Pochettino applauded the move, saying the team was already punished enough by playing with 10 men for 30 minutes.
Source: www.aljazeera.com