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Good morning, I'm Dan Gartland. I don't believe we'll witness a match at this World Cup better than England vs. Mexico.
In today's SI:AM:
🇺🇸 Balogun cleared to play
🇳🇴 Haaland shines in Norway's stunning upset
🇧🇷 Brazil wastes World Cup chance
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USMNT catches a break
The U.S. men's national team stands to gain from one of the most contentious off-field rulings in World Cup history.
FIFA announced yesterday that U.S. striker Folarin Balogun's one-game suspension for receiving a red card has been deferred for a probationary period of one year. In plain terms: Balogun will be eligible to play in the team's round of 16 clash against Belgium on Monday night. (Belgium is contesting the ruling.)
Balogun, who has been the team's standout attacking player throughout the tournament, was shown a red card in the 64th minute of the U.S.'s round of 32 match against Bosnia and Herzegovina after he stepped on the back of Tarik Muharemović's leg while the two competed for the ball. The decision to issue Balogun a straight red card following a video review drew widespread criticism, as the contact with Muharemović appeared largely accidental. Nevertheless, FIFA's regulations are explicit: A player who receives a red card automatically misses their team's next fixture. Teams are not permitted to appeal a red card ban.
The rules, however, say nothing about a country's head of state making a personal appeal to the president of FIFA.
President Donald Trump phoned FIFA president Gianni Infantino hours after the red card was issued on Wednesday to push for the decision to be reviewed, according to multiple reports. (The New York Times broke the story.) The Guardian reported that Trump contacted Infantino three times.
U.S. supporters will be relieved that a key player will be available for one of the most significant matches in the team's history, but the manner in which the decision was overturned should also leave them feeling uneasy. Suspending a red card ban at the World Cup is highly unusual, though not entirely without precedent. The last time it occurred was in 1962, when Brazilian icon Garrincha was permitted to play in the final against Czechoslovakia after being sent off in the semifinal. That case, too, involved pressure from the Brazilian government.
The ruling serves as an unwelcome reminder of the murky dealings that frequently overshadow the World Cup. There has been no reporting to suggest that anything improper occurred to facilitate Balogun's reinstatement, but when an organization as notoriously corrupt as FIFA and a president as openly corrupt as Trump work together to bend the rules, it's difficult not to question what may have transpired behind closed doors.
The dramatic departure from protocol has triggered widespread backlash. The Belgian federation said in a statement that it is "astonished" by the ruling. UEFA, European soccer's governing body, described the move as "incomprehensible and unjustifiable" and stated that overturning the ban "crossed a red line."
The outrage is entirely understandable. Sports and politics should never be intertwined in this manner. The U.S. may be unfairly benefiting from the close ties between Trump and Infantino, a relationship that has been cultivated since the country was named a co-host in 2018 for this year's tournament. Infantino's alignment with Trump had already attracted scrutiny before this latest controversy. Shortly before the tournament kicked off, the president of Norway's soccer federation sent a letter to FIFA expressing support for a formal complaint filed against FIFA for breaching political neutrality rules by presenting Trump with the "FIFA Peace Prize."
The Balogun decision and Trump's reported role in it cast an unfortunate shadow over Monday night's match. Prior to the president's intervention, the atmosphere surrounding the national team had been more genuinely positive than it had been in years. The team was performing at a high level and had given fans reason to believe in a deeper World Cup run than the U.S. had ever achieved. Balogun's availability improves the chances of the U.S. advancing to the quarterfinals and beyond, but the rest of the world would view any victory with an asterisk.
The best of Sports Illustrated
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The top five…
… moments from England's thrilling victory over Mexico:
5. Harry Kane's postgame interview after he had lost his voice from shouting for 90 minutes.
4. Mexican legend Guillermo Ochoa's emotional reaction at the final whistle. The 40-year-old, who has earned more than 150 caps for the national team, was comforted by his teammates.
3. Jude Bellingham's goal-saving clearance to deny Mexico a goal.
2. Jordan Pickford's acrobatic save to deny a potential equalizer in the first half.
1. Julián Quiñones's composed finish to score Mexico's opening goal.
Dan Gartland authors Sports Illustrated's flagship daily newsletter, SI:AM, and hosts the "Stadium Wonders" video series. He joined the SI team in 2014, having previously contributed to Deadspin and Slate. Gartland, a Fordham University graduate, is a former Sports Jeopardy! champion (Season 1, Episode 5).