By Steve Holland
WASHINGTON/SEATTLE, July 5 (Reuters) – 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.
‘A GREAT INJUSTICE’
“Thank you to FIFA for doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice,” Trump wrote on Truth Social while the White House celebrated Balogun’s reinstatement in the squad with a post on X saying: “USA-USA-USA.”
U.S. Soccer accepted the decision. Balogun’s teammates said they found out via social media on their way to training before Monday’s game in Seattle.
Pochettino welcomed the news at a press conference in Seattle, saying he thought “99.9% of people in football saw it as unfair punishment” and that there was “evidence from the past” that a punishment can be suspended and fulfilled later on.
England manager Thomas Tuchel said he believed Balogun did not deserve a red card, but questioned the decision to suspend his punishment, having just seen his defender Jarell Quansah get sent off in his side’s 3-2 last-16 win over Mexico on Sunday.
“Who overturns this decision then and when? And on what grounds? How far does this go now? This is strange for me,” Tuchel told reporters at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico. “Where does this start and where does this end?”
BELGIUM ‘ASTONISHED’ BY DECISION
The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) said it was “astonished” by FIFA’s decision to declare Balogun eligible to play in the match, pointing to the rule book while it investigated all potential options.
It said the decision was in direct contradiction with the provisions of the tournament’s Regulations.
German Football Association President Bernd Neuendorf said on Monday FIFA should issue a statement on the reports that the decision to overturn the red card was preceded by a telephone call between Trump and Infantino, adding: “The integrity of the competition and the credibility of FIFA are at stake”.
Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo was able to play his side’s opening World Cup matches after FIFA suspended the final two games of a three-match ban last year when he was sent off in their penultimate qualifying match against Ireland.
Qatar midfielder Assim Madibo was handed a five-match ban after receiving a red card for a tackle that seriously injured Canada midfielder Ismael Kone during a group match at this year’s tournament.
(Writing by Ossian Shine, additional reporting by Rohith Nair in Miami, Sam Tobin and Dan Catchpole in Seattle, Toby Davis in Mexico City and Friederike Heine from Berlin; Editing by Ed Osmond, Christian Radnedge and Timothy Heritage)
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