‘This is absolutely terrible’: Donald Trump’s role in Balogun red card U-turn at FIFA sparks breaking football news
FIFA’s unprecedented decision to suspend Folarin Balogun’s automatic one-game ban sparked heated debate at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, drawing criticism from rival teams and coaches, although the United States welcomed the move ahead of its last-16 match against Belgium.The controversy intensified after US President Donald Trump publicly thanked FIFA for overturning what he called a “great injustice”, while Belgium, Norway and England questioned the impact of the ruling on the integrity of the World Cup.In the US team’s 2-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina, the US team’s top scorer Balogun, who scored three goals, was directly shown a red card for stepping on Tarik Muharemovic’s ankle. The dismissal initially triggered an automatic one-match suspension before FIFA stepped in to make the striker eligible for Monday’s knockout rounds.
Belgium leads opposition to FIFA ruling
The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) reacted angrily to FIFA’s decision, saying it was “surprised” by the governing body’s move.Belgium coach Rudi Garcia teased the timing of the announcement.“I didn’t know that in the FIFA offices July 5th was April 1st in Europe,” Garcia said through a translator. “The Belgian Football Association does not defend itself, it does not protect the national team. She defends football as a whole, her integrity and her morals. I think this is the first time in the history of the World Cup that such a decision has been made.”The Belgian Football Federation also confirmed it was exploring its legal options.“In order to safeguard the legal rights of all participating teams and protect the basic principles of fair competition in our sport, hereby fifa world cup The RBFA is investigating all possible options for future competitions,” it said in a statement.Garcia declined to comment when asked whether Belgium would appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport or whether Trump’s intervention affected FIFA’s decision.
Tuchel and Solbakken question precedent
England manager Thomas Tuchel also expressed concern about the wider implications of FIFA’s decision.“We can argue endlessly now: I don’t think it was a yellow card,” Tuchel said. “Where does this end? Where does it stop?”Norway coach Storbakken was more scathing, warning that the ruling could cause confusion over future disciplinary decisions.“What about the next red card? What happens then?” Solbakken asked. “Is there going to be some committee that takes this card away? It’s a bad, bad, bad, bad, bad decision that will damage the World Cup.”
Neville, Rooney and Henry join growing opposition
Gary Neville: “It’s absolutely terrible. I don’t actually think it was a red card. There should be a proper review process. But if there’s no process to overturn it and then somehow FIFA suddenly decides to basically let a player play, then the rules should be the same for everyone.” If I were Belgium, I would be very angry. “Wayne Rooney: “I think it’s an absolute disgrace. Infantino should be ashamed of himself. The sportsmanship of this game is called into question here. If you were the opponent of Team USA, you would absolutely be angry.”Micah Richards: “This is an absolute farce. A one-year suspension makes a mockery of the entire game. It’s all about keeping big stars in the game.” Thierry Henry: “I don’t think it was the right decision. It was the right decision, but why so late? If you are Belgian and ready for the game, it changes everything.”
Trump, Pochettino back FIFA US decision to defend
This ruling received strong support from the US camp.According to the Associated Press, Trump called FIFA President Gianni Infantino after the game against Bosnia and asked FIFA to review Balogun’s decision to be fired.After FIFA announced the news, Trump posted: “Thank you FIFA for doing the right thing and reversing a huge injustice!”USA coach Mauricio Pochettino insisted his team had been punished enough.“We were punished enough against Bosnia and Herzegovina, we had to play with 10 men for 30 minutes and it was a completely unfair decision,” he said.Pochettino also welcomed Trump’s involvement.“I come from a culture in Argentina or Europe where football is a religion, not just a religion,” he said. “If we keep moving forward, keep moving forward, maybe tomorrow you will find that this sport is magical, this sport is amazing and so powerful in uniting people and uniting a country like ours.”
How FIFA overturned a ban
FIFA notified U.S. Soccer of its decision via its official portal at 10:31 a.m. ET, later announcing that Balogun’s suspension was postponed under Article 27 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code.“The imposition of the suspension is suspended for one year,” FIFA said. “If Folarin Balogun commits another violation of a similar nature and severity during the probation period, the suspension shall be revoked and the sanction imposed, without prejudice to any additional sanctions imposed for the new violation.”The authority said the decision was based on Article 27, which states: “The judicial authorities may decide to suspend the implementation of disciplinary measures in whole or in part.”“The judiciary imposes a suspended sentence of one to four years on the sanctioned person by suspending the execution of the sanction,” it added.The move appears to be the first time since the 1962 FIFA World Cup that a player sent off during a match will avoid an automatic suspension, ensuring Balogun will be available as the United States reaches the World Cup quarterfinals for the first time since 2002.
Post Comment