USA are celebrating but much of the football world is up in arms over the news star striker Florian Balogun will be free to play against Belgium in the World Cup Round of 16.
US President Donald Trump personally called FIFA president Gianni Infantino to request football’s international governing body overturn the red card Balogun was shown in the co-host’s Round of 32 win against Bosnia-Herzegovina.
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And FIFA announced on Sunday the ban would now be suspended for a year in a move that clears Balogun to play against Belgium on Tuesday (AEST).
“Red cards are not overturned by political phone calls. They are overturned by rules, evidence and independent bodies,” former FIFA boss Sepp Blatter said on Monday.
“If a U.S. 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.”
It is the first time since the World Cup introduced yellow and red cards in 1970 that a player who was shown a red card has been allowed to play the following game.
A one-match ban is standard practice for a player given their marching orders, but this World Cup has been anything but standard practice.
Balogun red card ban… SUSPENDED | 00:34
From the expansion to 48 teams to the introduction of advertisement breaks — dubbed hydration breaks — the money-centric nature of this World Cup has been clear to see.
Surprisingly, Trump was yet to really make his mark on this World Cup.
Many thought he was saving that for a fortnight’s time when he will be dais presenting the trophy to the winning team as he did at last year’s FIFA Club World Cup but he’s now made his prescence felt.
The US President dominated the build-up to the tournament.
FIFA made up a peace prize to award it to him.
Infantino and his team worked out of Trump Tower in New York for years as they planned and prepared for the World Cup.
The two men are intertwined and it was a surprise to no one that Trump was able to flex his muscle.
“Thank you to FIFA for doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice!” he said in a social media post.
That did not tell the full story, however.
The New York Times has since shed light on the situation, revealing Trump called Infantino last week to set the wheels in motion for the striker, who has scored three goals this tournament, to be cleared to play.
US Soccer’s legal team presented an ultimately successful argument questioning to use of a slow-motion replay in the decision to send Balogun off for his challenge on Bosnian defender Tarik Muharemovic.
“Under FIFA’s own protocols, the play should not have been flagged to Brazilian referee Raphael Claus by the video assistant, who ask Claus to review the play on the monitor following a slow-motion replay of the incident,” Fox Sports US reported that the legal team argued.
“Balogun was not even cautioned by Claus on the field.”
But the football world clearly believes the pressure from the White House was more influential that the US national body’s lawyers.
Last week, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said they “got screwed with that red card” and argued that “there needs to be an appeal process”.
In the end, the decision to overturn Balogun’s ban and instead give him a suspended sentence stunned even his USA teammates.
They learned of the news when they were on the bus on the way to training on the eve of their Round of 16 match in Seattle.
“I think a lot of us thought it was AI at first,” defender Chris Richards told reporters. “We weren’t sure if it was true or not.”
“I had no clue. We just found out this morning. I think it’s a little strange,” fellow defender Alex Freeman also told the media. “I have no clue how it happened personally.”
Freeman’s coach claimed to know how it happened, however, with US team coach Mauricio Pochettino — the Argentine former Tottenham and Chelsea boss — telling reporters the decision should be celebrated.
“My reaction I think is like everyone that really loved that sport, and trust on the ethic and integrity. I think we celebrate all that decision,” he said.
“We were punished enough against Bosnia-Herzegovina to play with 10 men, 35 minutes in a decision that was completely unfair.
“But it’s not only because I am the head coach of the U.S. men’s national team, [and] I need to defend my side. It’s only because I think it’s…99.9% that we all agree that it was an unfair card.”
Then quizzed on how the reversal came to be, Pochettino said it was a “normal process”.
“The Federation for sure was working really hard,“ he continued. “[U.S. Soccer CEO JT Batson] and the whole federation working on trying to defend our situation and that’s it.
“I was focusing on trying to prepare the team to face to Belgium, working in different options, working in trying to be focusing and to play tomorrow with our best, in our best condition.”
The Balogun decision is not unprecedented.
Brazil’s Garrincha was sent off in the 1962 World Cup semi-final against hosts Chile in the semi-final, but played in the final as Brazil defeated Czechoslovakia 3-1 in Santiago.
Garrincha was cleared because back then, a player did not receive an automatic ban for a red card.
Their case instead went to a tribunal, who determined their fate.
It was believed in that instance 64 years ago the verdict was impacted by political pressure.
Another example is more recent.
Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo should not have featured in the opening two group games of this World Cup.
The 41-year-old was handed a three-match ban in qualifying for elbowing Ireland’s Dara O’Shea in November last year.
It was later reduced to a one-match ban with the two others suspended.
Such decisions have led to people questioning the integrity of football’s card system.
“What about the next red card? What happens then?” Norway coach Ståle Solbakken said after his side’s 2-1 win against Brazil on Monday morning.
“Is there going to be some committee somewhere that is going to take that card away? It’s a bad, bad, bad, bad, bad decision that will hurt the World Cup.”
The USA’s upcoming opponents, Belgium, are understandably furious.
“I didn’t know that in the offices of FIFA the 5th of July was the 1st of April in Europe,” Belgium coach Rudi Garcia said through a translator in an April Fools’ Day comparison.
“The Belgian federation does not defend itself, it does not protect the national team, She defends football in general, she defends her integrity, her ethics.”
While the Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) said it was “astonished” by the reversal.
“The decision is in direct contradiction with the provisions of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Competition Regulations,” their statement read.
“In order to safeguard the legitimate rights of all participating teams and to protect the fundamental principles of fair play in our sport, both at this FIFA World Cup and at future editions of the tournament, the RBFA is investigating all potential options.”
Those options may include a bitter legal battle with several reports suggesting Belgium will be willing to take the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
The Swiss-based body typically deals with doping matters, but in this case would hear an appeal of FIFA’s decision based on Article 27 of their disciplinary committee rules.
“The judicial body may decide to fully or partially suspend the implementation of a disciplinary measure. By suspending the implementation of the sanction, the judicial body subjects the person sanctioned to a probationary period of one to four years,” the rule states.
As a result, Pochettino argued that FIFA were simply using their discretion to reward the US for their good behaviour.
“The lesson is if you behave well, maybe you will be rewarded,” Pochettino said.
“And I think it’s fantastic to have that mindset. I am so happy that he act in this way and he took that decision because sometimes, when you are upset after the game and you feel in some point knowing that it was unfair to everything, but you have a small percentage of you feel guilty about this type of situation.
“But I think he did very well and manage [the situation] and I am so happy about that.”
Unsurprisingly, Pochettino was unwilling to engage in discussions about Trump’s impact.
When asked if he believed it was appropriate that Trump contacted Infantino, Pochettino replied: “We cannot mix that. That is a decision of from the FIFA.”
Many in the US media have been quickly to point out the irony on this situation.
Balogun is an American citizen by birth, but grew up in the United Kingdom.
He emerged from Arsenal’s academy, represented England at youth level, but was recruited to wear the Stars and Stripes three years ago.
The 25-year-old, who plays his club football for Monaco, was born in New York only because his mother was not permitted to fly home to London due to safety concerns.
She was seven months pregnant at the time and they eventually returned to London when Balogun was two months old.
Just last week, Trump lost a Supreme Court case challenging birthright citizenship.
A majority of justices ruled that individuals, like Balogun, who were born in the US are US citizens.
It came after Trump issued an executive order last year in an attempt to restrict birthright citizenship.
Politics is running through the veins of this matter.
Balogun will take the pitch on Tuesday morning, but the issue certainly will not be resolved.