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The consequences of Folarin Balogun's red card for the U.S. men's national team could have been resolved beneath the stands of Levi's Stadium within hours of the incident occurring.
U.S. head coach Mauricio Pochettino made his position clear, stating that he believed the striker's awkward fall onto Bosnia and Herzegovina defender Tarik Muharemović was "never" deserving of a sending-off, and announced his intention to challenge the ruling.
However, he was promptly informed by the assembled journalists that no such option existed—as a FIFA spokesperson had clarified just moments before Pochettino entered the press conference room, a red card "automatically incurs suspension from the subsequent match."
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Pochettino absorbed the news calmly, shrugged, brushed the hair from his face and moved on to the following question. Unfortunately, that was not the end of the matter.
Rumors of a remarkable reprieve for Balogun emerged the day before the round of 16 encounter with Belgium. FIFA confirmed that the U.S. leading scorer would in fact be eligible to play, prompting a message of gratitude from President Donald Trump and a fierce backlash from the "astonished" Belgian Soccer Association.
It's fair to say that most observers aligned themselves with one of those two extremes.
'Two Things Can Be True'
One widely held perspective sought a degree of balance. While many contended that Balogun was unlucky to be shown a red card to begin with—as the player himself explained, there was no alternative place to put his leg—such a call did not justify this unprecedented response from FIFA.
I would probably put the Balogun decision in the category of being harsh rather than unforgivably wrong. I think that's an important distinction within this context.
The Messi challenge earlier in the tournament was an inarguable red card, no discussion, so maybe that's muddied…
Two things can be true at the same time here:
The Balogun red was nonsense
FIFA arbitrarily unbanning people based on vibes is terrible for the sport.
A ridiculous organization.
I think the initial red card was a bad call and I'm very glad to have Flo Balogun for the Belgium game, but man… I don't love this decision from FIFA. Without a full explanation of the process and similar rulings for other teams, this feels like questionable. No transparency.
Even some openly partisan U.S. supporters acknowledged that their delight may have come at the cost of broader sporting integrity.
I do not think it was a red. I am glad Balogun can play because I thought it was insanely harsh for him to have a miss a World Cup game over that incident. I also have to admit this just feels insanely corrupt. But hey, that's fifa!
'Disgraceful'
The other recurring theme throughout public discussion was one of widespread contempt. Belgium manager Rudi Garcia addressed the subject with a touch of wit: "I didn't realize FIFA celebrates April Fools' Day on July 5." Others were far less amused.
A scandalous decision, FIFA placing its thumb on the scales of the tournament without even feeling compelled to offer a fig leaf of justification. Borderline red cards happen all the time and plenty of teams with more at stake than the USMNT have to just deal with it. https://t.co/wsOVLRhHP1
FIFA's reference to Article 27, which permits the judicial body "to fully or partially suspend the implementation of a disciplinary measure" without any required explanation, was met with considerable disapproval.
it is spectacular that there is an official article in the FIFA code which reads "we can do whatever we want, and no there doesn't have to be any justification for our actions lol lmao" https://t.co/MlbiQMqZiM
Many drew comparisons to previous instances where FIFA was seen to have manipulated the rules to serve its own interests, whether to keep marquee players on the pitch or to favor a host nation.
We saw it with Messi's Inter Miami and the Club World Cup, then Cristiano escaping long ban v Ireland and now Balogun.
FIFA basically saying "it's our competition so we can make up the rules as we go along" https://t.co/EotPM5Fcpo
The central criticism was most clearly articulated by attorney and former referee Christina Unkel, who reduced it to a matter of "transparency."
1/9🚨Transparency isn't just good governance—it protects the integrity of the game.
FIFA's Disciplinary Committee did not overturn Balogun's red card. It suspended the suspension under Article 27 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, making him eligible to play.
The issue isn't… 🧵
President Trump's Role
Trump's determination to place himself at the heart of this controversy did not go unnoticed. Many were quick to highlight that the President was celebrating the participation of a player who would not have qualified for citizenship under his own vision of America.
Balogun was born in New York City to Nigerian parents who were visiting the United States before he was subsequently raised in England. Had the Supreme Court upheld Trump's argument that children born on U.S. soil should no longer hold the constitutional right to citizenship, Balogun would not be representing the USMNT in any form.
I guess Trump isn't ENTIRELY against birthright citizenship 🤣
So Trump bullies the spineless, corrupt FIFA chief, Infantino, to rescind an American player's red card. An American player who happens to be, (checks notes), a birthright American citizen. Irony is dead.
Just to be clear, then. FIFA:
1) can't possibly intervene when Iran are forced to move, a referee is denied a visa, or fans are barred from the USA
2) can absolutely intervene when a decision goes against the USA that Donald Trump doesn't like
Smashing. All know where we stand
'Good for FIFA'
Football is a game of differing opinions, and some naturally felt that FIFA was justified in overturning Balogun's red card. Christian Pulisic, the striker's international teammate, revealed that Balogun himself was "super happy."
"Just a big smile on his face and all of ours," the winger said with a grin. "The foul wasn't what it was, it was harsh."
Others who welcomed the decision cautioned that the U.S. would face accusations of wielding undue influence over the tournament. The message was straightforward: brace for the criticism and enjoy it.
Good for FIFA shockingly allowing Balogun to play vs Belgium. His foul obviously was accidental, not intentional. BUT ... get ready to hear a whole lot of "home cookin'" from visiting teams and fans.
Great news for USMNT as FIFA suspends Balogun's 1-gm suspension and he'll be allowed to play vs Belgium. But it's now (even more so) U.S. vs. world. Any support, affinity, or benefit of doubt from rest of world just went out the window. Applies to refs too. Bring it on!🇺🇸⚽️ pic.twitter.com/Ch4jyzQx9M