Cards in sport has the power to dictate how a match will end. For instance, a key player might be shown a red and thus being given their marching orders. The team can crumble to the ground as a result.
A red card automatically means a player will be banned for at least one game. That was the case with U.S.A.'s Florian Balogun. He was set to miss their match against Belgium. However, Donald Trump asked for a suspended ban and it was granted. This decision caused massive outrage.
UEFA have strongly criticised FIFA's decision to suspend USMNT striker Folarin Balogun's red card; thus allowing the United States striker to be available for the World Cup Round-of-16 match against Belgium.
Balogun, who is the USMNT's leading scorer at the tournament with three goals, was shown a straight red card for a foul on Bosnia and Herzegovina, defender, Tarik Muharemovic, during their 2-0 win in the previous round.
FIFA said on Sunday that Balogun's automatic one-match ban would be suspended for a year; citing a rule which allows punishments to be suspended; much to UEFA's incredulity.
"We express our disbelief at such an unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable decision," Europe's football governing body said in a statement posted on their website.
"Yesterday's decision to suspend for a probationary period of a year the implementation of the one-match automatic suspension following the red card issued to the player Folarin Balogun crossed a red line."
U.S. President, Donald Trump, posted a message on his social media platform - Truth Social - thanking FIFA "for doing what was right and reversing a great injustice!"
ABC confirmed reports that Trump had called FIFA last week to ask its president, Gianni Infantino, to review Balogun's red card. Belgium's federation expressed its shock at the red-card reversal and said it was "investigating all potential options."
UEFA said that FIFA, by making an exception with Balogun and doing so in the middle of the World Cup, has put the integrity of the game "at stake" and set a precedent.
"Football, like any other sports, relies on rules, which are the basis for fair, honest and transparent competition," the UEFA statement added. "Sometimes rules are open to interpretation. In this case not. A minimum automatic suspension of one match following a red card is not a discretionary option and does not require the decision of a competent body to be enacted."
"It is a principle embedded in regulations, which cannot be made subject to exceptions, let alone in the middle of a tournament where several other players have been in the same situation and regularly served their suspension."
"When the certainty of rules is no longer guaranteed by its guardians, the integrity of the game is at stake and the credibility of a competition is undermined."
"Equally, such decision creates a precedent in the ongoing tournament, where similar situations will now require an equal treatment, to the detriment of the competition."
FIFA also said on Monday in a second statement: "There are no provisions in the FIFA Disciplinary Code and the Regulations for the FIFA World Cup 26™, that prohibit the FIFA Disciplinary Committee from exercising its discretion under Article 27 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code."
In that same statement, FIFA clapped back at UEFA, saying that the review of "the legal consequences of red cards in football is nothing new in the modern game. For instance, in the majority of top-tier leagues belonging to UEFA-affiliated member associations - the overturning of red cards is a common disciplinary measure, yet this has never raised concerns about crossing any 'red line'. And again, it should be emphasised that in the decision under scrutiny, the red card was not overturned. Suspending the effects of a red card based on an explicit provision of the applicable regulations is a much more balanced measure."
Belgium coach, Rudi Garcia, said he thought it was a joke when he first heard news that suspended United States striker Folarin Balogun was cleared to play in its Round-of-16 match Monday, while the Belgian federation announced it was "investigating all potential options" in opposition to FIFA's stunning decision.
"I didn't know that at the World Cup, the 5th of July is actually the first of April -- it's April Fools' [Day]," Garcia said at a news conference on Sunday. He added that the federation's lengthy statement, which highlighted the unprecedented nature of FIFA's decision as well as how it runs counter to the guidelines FIFA had put out before the tournament regarding automatic suspensions for any player receiving a red card, was not only about protecting the Belgian team.
"We're not defending the national team or federation," Garcia said. "We are defending football."
"Had it been done earlier, we'd have been able to be mentally more prepared, perhaps," Belgium goalkeeper, Thibaut Courtois, said. "It's good that we have another training [still to come Sunday]. ... But we'll be ready. We'll be on the pitch. They have 11 players, not only Balogun."
Garcia and Courtois largely sidestepped numerous other questions about the Balogun decision; referring reporters to the federation's statement in which it said it was "astonished" by the move and called it "in direct contradiction" to the rules FIFA itself set out for this tournament.
Criticism of FIFA's decision also came from Norway coach, Ståle Solbakken, after his team's win over Brazil in the Round of 16 on Sunday.
"I think that's a big mistake by FIFA; it's not a great conclusion," Solbakken said. "He has got a red card, VAR concluded it was a red card, and he was sent off, so that means he is suspended for one game."
"The Belgians will be furious and what happens if he scores a goal that wins the game? What happens with the next red card? Will there be a committee somewhere to take the red card away?"
"It's a bad, bad, bad, bad decision for the World Cup, and I feel sorry for the U.S. because if they win, the result will always be looked at in that way."
Courtois was asked about the U.S. attack and how Balogun's presence might affect Belgium's defense. "He is a very fast striker," Courtois said. "Maybe a different profile than [Ricardo] Pepi. They have a lot of quality up front."
Football leaders questioned the World Cup’ s integrity on a chaotic and unprecedented day in the event’s modern history Monday.
The furor centered on a phone call that President Donald Trump made last week to FIFA head Gianni Infantino to make the case that U.S. striker Folarin Balogun should not have been suspended for Monday’s matchup with Belgium because of a red card in a game last week. FIFA lifted the suspension and cleared Balogun to play.
The decision ultimately didn’t help the U.S. team, which was eliminated from the World Cup with a 4-1 loss to Belgium late Monday with Balogun in the line-up.
The decision appeared to be the first time since 1962 that punishment for a World Cup offense was suspended in the tournament; increasing scrutiny on Infantino’s control of FIFA and his close association with Trump.
FIFA’s appeals committee dismissed Belgium’s legal challenge less than eight hours before scheduled kick-off of the Round of 16 match in Seattle. The appellate panel said Belgium had no standing to challenge the decision.
Balogun’s red card was assessed by Brazilian referee, Raphael Claus, for stepping on an opponent’s ankle last Wednesday during the Americans’ 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina; triggering an automatic one-game suspension. Claus did not initially issue a red card but showed it after a video review.
FIFA’s disciplinary committee on Sunday provisionally lifted the suspension for one year and fined Balogun $40 000; which the USSF can pay.
"When the certainty of rules is no longer guaranteed by its guardians, the integrity of the game is at stake and the credibility of a competition is undermined," UEFA said in a statement.
"Sometimes rules are open to interpretation. In this case not," it said. "When the certainty of rules is no longer guaranteed by its guardians, the integrity of the game is at stake and the credibility of a competition is undermined."
UEFA has often clashed with Infantino during his decade in FIFA power.
Infantino’s predecessor, Sepp Blatter, forced from office in 2015 in fallout from corruption scandals, posted Monday on social media:
"Red cards are not overturned by political phone calls," said Blatter. "They are overturned by rules, evidence and independent bodies."
The Swiss Football Association declared that the "credibility of the competition depends on clear rules that are applied consistently."
Coaches have speculated about the implications of the decision going forward.
"What about the next red card? What happens then?" Norway coach Ståle Solbakken said. "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."
England coach, Thomas Tuchel, wondered whether yellow cards to English defender Declan Rice and French midfielder Michael Olise could be reversed.
FIFA’s disciplinary committee defended its decision in a statement onMonday.
"Reviewing the legal consequences of red cards in football is nothing new in the modern game," it said. "In the majority of top-tier leagues belonging to UEFA-affiliated member associations the overturning of red cards is a common disciplinary measure, yet this has never raised concerns about crossing any 'red line'."
Trump on Monday called the referee’s decision a "horrible" call while admitting he was confused about the rules and punishment surrounding red cards.
"I didn’t think it was a foul," Trump said. "I thought it was two great athletes that crashed into each other and got entangled."
He also acknowledged calling Infantino. "All I did was ask for a review," Trump said. "I didn’t say, 'You have to do this'."
Infantino issued a statement saying: "FIFA’s judicial bodies are independent. They operate autonomously."
"I explained that there was an ongoing legal process involving FIFA’s independent judicial bodies and that the case would be decided in due course by the competent bodies," he said of his conversation with Trump.
Infantino’s relationship with Trump previously sparked concern among football officials. European football leaders walked out of a FIFA Congress in Paraguay last year due to a three-hour delay caused by Infantino arriving late because he was with Trump in the Middle East.
After Infantino awarded Trump the first FIFA peace prize in December, Norway’s governing body filed a letter supporting an ethics complaint against Infantino that accused him of violating provisions in FIFA’s code of ethics requiring political neutrality.
FIFA boss Gianni Infantino is facing increasing calls to resign his position as the controversy surrounding Donald Trump’s intervention in the World Cup rumbles on.
The US president was mocked by Belgium’s players after Rudi Garcia’s side beat the United States 4-1 to knock the tournament co-hosts out; while a taunt on social media appeared to reference the suspension of Folarin Balogun’s one-match ban by FIFA.
Balogun was able to start in Seattle with his sanction postponed; a decision which followed a personal appeal by Trump to Infantino over the striker’s red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina to raise questions about the World Cup’s integrity.
In the end, it was not really a contest as Belgium became the sixth side into the World Cup quarter-finals against a subdued USA. Belgium will now face Spain in the last eight in Los Angeles on Friday.
My dear and wonderful readers, I believe this story comes straight out of a Disney movie. If there's one thing I've noticed about them; it's that the moral of each one is that friendship can conquer all.
Friendship is the central issue of this whole thing. It's already been established that Trump and Infantino are close friends. I wouldn't be surprised if they listen to the Toy Story song, You've Got A Friend In Me, everytime they talk to each other.
Infantino should've put his friendship aside and be objective. I don't care what he said, I'm almost certain that he personally overturned the one game ban.