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The controversy surrounding Folarin Balogun's red card suspension at the 2026 World Cup continues to generate backlash, with Premier League CEO Richard Masters describing the decision as yet another "self-inflicted moment" by FIFA.
World soccer's governing body invited widespread criticism when it permitted Balogun — who had been sent off during the U.S. men's national team's round of 32 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina — to take the field against Belgium in the round of 16. His ban was suspended in a stunning ruling that appeared to be influenced by U.S. President Donald Trump's intervention.
Allowing Balogun to sidestep immediate punishment and feature in the very next match placed FIFA president Gianni Infantino squarely in the crosshairs — a familiar position for him following his unsuccessful bid to sell shares of future World Cup commercial rights to private investors.
Masters, who recently called on FIFA to part ways with Infantino, weighed in on the Balogun affair: "We should be looking back on the World Cup, the football that was played, Spain being the best team, and England's agonizing semifinal defeat. But we're not, we are talking about other issues, and that's a huge shame.
"The Balogun situation stands on its own as an isolated incident that is very hard to make sense of when you examine it closely. I think it is, once again, a self-inflicted moment.
"Why does FIFA not have a red card review process like the one in place across many other competitions, including the Premier League, where a miscarriage of justice — not that I'm suggesting Balogun's red card was one — can be addressed on those grounds, rather than relying on a system focused solely on the length of a ban with no mechanism to overturn it?
"In my view, that created unnecessary controversy."
England Referee Chief 'Really Troubled' by Balogun Controversy
England's refereeing chief Howard Webb aligned himself with Masters's perspective, stressing just how extraordinary the Balogun ruling was during this summer's tournament.
"I was really troubled by it. I don't know all the ins and outs of the process, but what do we know?" Webb said.
"We know a red card was shown — you can debate whether it was the right call, but I understand why it was given. We know pressure was applied by a politician on FIFA, because that was openly admitted. And we know that a suspension was lifted through a process that seemingly had no prior existence."
President Trump acknowledged he "asked for a review" from FIFA regarding Balogun's red card. The striker was dismissed for inadvertently catching Bosnian center back Tarik Muharemović in the Achilles — a call widely considered harsh. Nevertheless, the red card stood and should have carried at least a one-match ban, yet FIFA adjusted its own procedures to allow the American to represent the USMNT, a match that ended in a heavy 4–1 loss to Belgium.
"When you get a situation like [Balogun's], it opens the door for people to say 'ah ha, this sort of thing happens all the time.' But it really doesn't," Webb added.
Balgoun Incident Only Increases Pressure on Infantino
Infantino no doubt hoped the uproar over Balogun's suspended ban would have faded by now, but more than a month on, prominent figures across the sport are still raising the issue. Balogun himself admitted that "a lot of outside noise" had stirred up "a bit of nerves" within the USMNT camp.
The Balogun decision has become yet another reason many are demanding Infantino step down as FIFA president. The 56-year-old had previously been expected to cruise into a fourth term, but now faces near-suffocating pressure from UEFA, Concacaf, the AFC, and FIFPRO, the global players' union.
It seems as though each passing day brings a new voice speaking out against Infantino in the wake of his failed World Cup plan. The latest is Bayern Munich honorary president Uli Hoeneß, who took aim at the FIFA chief.
"Mr. Infantino has made some mistakes during his time in football, but this was among his most serious," Hoeneß said in an interview with ntv Sport regarding Balogun's red card.
"If you allow someone like Donald Trump to decide or influence whether a player serves a suspension or not, that is the beginning of the end for the competition. And if we accept something like that, then it's no longer my sport. That was completely unacceptable to me."
Infantino faces re-election in March 2027. He previously ran unopposed in both 2019 and 2023, but may encounter a genuine challenger this time as pressure around him continues to mount.