The firestorm surrounding the World Cup following FIFA's controversial U-turn on a red card given to USA forward Folarin Balogun may be unprecedented and bizarre, but experts believe it is not unexpected, given US President Donald Trump's history of intervening in non-political matters.

FIFA dismissed Belgium's appeal against the reversal of Balogun's suspension on Monday, terming it 'inadmissible', hours before kickoff in the USA vs Belgium knockout match in Seattle.

Balogun received a red card for stepping awkwardly on Bosnia and Herzegovina's Tarik Muharemovic's ankle in a 2-0 win for the USA in their round-of-32 match, triggering an automatic one-game suspension. It would have led to Balogun's omission from the USA's squad for their last-16 match against Belgium, until FIFA announced on Sunday that it had suspended the red card. The decision came after Trump had urged FIFA chief Gianni Infantino to review the case.

While Trump's bond with Infantino is no secret, a leading sport industry expert says the controversy emphasises the expansion of Trump's influence on the global governing body of football. 'Trump's MAGA agenda is now on full show for the world to see, as is Infantino and FIFA's pursuit of revenues,' Simon Chadwick, professor of Afro-Eurasian sport at the Emlyon Business School in Shanghai, told Al Jazeera. 'There has long been an accident waiting to happen.'

Infantino insisted in a statement that FIFA's judicial committees are independent and made the call to reverse the suspension. 'Yes, I regularly discuss matters related to the FIFA World Cup with the president of the United States, and on this matter, I did receive a call from President Donald Trump... However, the decision was made by independent bodies,' he said.

Chadwick, however, argued that FIFA's third-party interference rules flew out the window after Trump intervened. 'What has happened in the Balogun case appears highly irregular and a breach of established ethical standards. Apparently changing rules mid-tournament, without consultation, under the influence of an often-chaotic politician, sets a very dangerous precedent,' he added.

The decision has caused outrage against FIFA, support for Belgium, and an inevitable stream of jokes from national team head coaches wondering whether they, too, can appeal the red and yellow cards given to their players. England coach Thomas Tuchel questioned the decision after Jarell Quansah's red card: 'Who overturns this decision then, and when? And on what grounds? How far does this go now? This is strange for me.'

Even former FIFA president Sepp Blatter joined the criticism: 'Red cards are not overturned by political phone calls. They are overturned by rules, evidence, and independent bodies. If a US president intervenes with the FIFA president – and a player is suddenly cleared before a World Cup knockout match – the question is unavoidable: Quo vadis, FIFA? Football must never become a playground for political power.'

Source: www.aljazeera.com