UEFA has fiercely condemned FIFA’s move to clear United States forward Folarin Balogun for the World Cup last-16 tie against Belgium, describing the decision as “unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable.”
Balogun had been expected to sit out Tuesday’s 1am UK time knockout match after receiving a straight red card in the USA’s 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina in the last 32.
However, in extraordinary circumstances, the suspension was put on hold, making him eligible to feature, following a phone call from US president Donald Trump to FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
Speaking in the Oval Office, Trump said: “All I did was ask for a review because I didn’t think it was a foul. I’m good at this stuff – I didn’t think it was a foul.
“When they take your best player and say he can’t play that’s very unfair. It’s one thing to penalise someone for the game, but how do you penalise them for a game that hasn’t been played yet. You can’t do that. I asked for a review by FIFA. I spoke to a man who is highly respected.
“How would you feel if I took [Lionel] Messi, [Cristiano] Ronaldo, or Harry Kane out? You can’t do that.”
Trump also conceded that he “didn’t know what the h*** a red card was” and raised questions about the background of referee Raphael Claus. Daily Mail Sport has approached FIFA for comment.
Belgium’s FA have confirmed they are lodging an appeal and are prepared to “fight” for “months” in the “interests of football as a whole” — while also alleging that FIFA prevented their initial attempt to pursue a formal challenge.
FIFA’s decision has been panned by many figures within the game for making a mockery of the sport’s integrity and giving the USA an unfair advantage, with even former FIFA president Sepp Blatter condemning the move, saying ‘football should never become a playground for political power’.
On Monday morning UEFA – European football’s governing body – released a statement condemning the decision to suspend the ban and make Balogun available for the last-16 match.
Belgium have appealed to get USA striker Folarin Balogun re-banned for their last-16 game
‘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,’ read the statement.
‘Football, like any other sports, relies on rules, which are the basis for fair, honest and transparent competition. 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.
‘Football is the most loved sport in the world because it is a beautiful game and is trusted because it is played everywhere with the same laws. A tournament is never a pure standalone and, if the tournament in question is the World Cup, it has the power to drive positive or negative consequences on the game as a whole.
‘We express our disbelief at such an unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable decision.’
FIFA suspended Balogun’s ban for a one-year ‘probationary’ period, wiping it out unless he commits another offence of ‘similar nature and gravity’.
On Monday afternoon, the Belgian FA claimed that FIFA found a loophole to block any potential appeal.
Their statement read: ‘The RBFA sent a letter to FIFA requesting a copy of the decision, an explanation of the process that had been followed, and setting out its position regarding the applicable regulations.
‘As its only response, FIFA sent a letter to the RBFA stating that it considered this correspondence to constitute an appeal, that a judge had been appointed, and that the RBFA had only a few hours to complete that appeal. No information whatsoever was provided by FIFA.
‘For an appeal to be admissible, FIFA’s own regulations state that the reasoned decision must first have been communicated to the appellant. While the RBFA was merely seeking legitimate explanations, FIFA itself created an appeal and immediately ensured that it would be declared inadmissible.’
The statement continued: ‘To be clear, as of this moment, the RBFA has still not received any decision or any explanation from FIFA regarding this matter. It therefore has no alternative but to challenge the player’s eligibility for the upcoming match.
Donald Trump had called FIFA president Gianni Infantino – and later thanked the organisation for ‘reversing a great injustice’
‘Regardless of the sporting outcome of this match, the RBFA is deeply concerned by the course of events and will continue to fight in the coming hours, days and months in defence of the fundamental principles of ethics, fair competition, and the interests of football as a whole.’
Human rights organisation FairSquare said: ‘The rules were clearly broken in a way that benefits the political interests of the US President.’
The football body issued scant explanation for suspending Balogun’s ban, merely citing ‘Article 27 of the FIFA disciplinary code’. That technically allows them to ‘fully or partially suspend the implementation of a disciplinary measure’.
However, Article 66.4 states that a red card causes an automatic ban for the team’s next match.
There have been 189 red cards in the history of the World Cup and Balogun would become just the second player to not serve an immediate ban. The other was Brazil icon Garrincha in 1962, who was sent off in the semi-finals but played in the final against Chile.
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There were no automatic bans back then but the decision to let him play was accused of being politically manufactured.
After FIFA kicked back Balogun’s ban, Trump, who was awarded the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize by Infantino last year, wrote on Truth Social: ‘Thank you to Fifa for doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice! President DONALD J. TRUMP.’
The Belgian FA said it was ‘astonished’ at the decision and would be investigating all options to ‘protect the principles of fair play’. Belgium head coach Rudi Garcia said: ‘I didn’t know that at the World Cup July 5th is now April 1st – April Fool’s Day. We’re defending football and its ethics.’
Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois admitted the decision came as a ‘surprise’. He added: ‘Had it been done earlier, we’d maybe be able to be more prepared. But as players, nothing changes, we focus to win.’
The Belgian FA also insisted the move contradicted FIFA’s competition rules. The automatic nature of such a suspension was reaffirmed in a FIFA World Cup Circular sent to participating member associations in May.
A FIFA statement on Sunday read: ‘In line with article 27 of the FIFA disciplinary code, the implementation of the match suspension is suspended for a probationary period of one year.
Balogun was sent off for a tackle during their 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina
Donald Trump took to Truth Social on Sunday morning to praise FIFA for ‘doing what was right’
The decision to show Balogun a straight red card sparked widespread fury on social media
FIFA president Gianni Infantino pictured alongside Donald Trump last month
‘If Folarin Balogun commits another infringement of a similar nature and gravity during the probationary period, the suspension shall be revoked and the sanction enforced without prejudice to any additional sanction imposed for the new infringement.’
It’s understood US Soccer’s legal team put forward a submission to FIFA, with their case centering on the officials’ use of slow-motion replays before Balogun was sent off.
His foul on Tarik Muharemovic was controversial at the time.
FIFA’s decision has been widely criticised. England manager Thomas Tuchel said: ‘Where does this start and where does this end now? Can we overturn it or not overturn it? What’s going on?
‘Where to draw the line is the question that I ask. I have no answer to that.
‘Do we appeal if a yellow card is not a yellow card? Do we think it is not a red card or who thinks it? Where does this start and where does this end? It’s my question. I don’t have an answer.’
Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter, himself no stranger to controversy, weighed in: ‘Red cards are not overturned by political phone calls. They are overturned by rules, evidence and independent bodies.
‘If a US President intervenes with the FIFA President – and a player is suddenly cleared before a World Cup knockout match – the question is unavoidable: Quo vadis [where are you going], FIFA? Football must never become a playground for political power.’
Blatter’s 17-year tenure as FIFA president ended in 2015 when he was banned from football for a eight years over a payment made to Michel Platini. It was reduced to six years on appeal.
The German Football Association said: ‘FIFA should now issue a prompt statement regarding reports that the decision to overturn the red card shown to the American player Folarin Balogun was preceded by a telephone call between US president Donald Trump and FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
‘The impression that there has been active political interference in sport must be dispelled swiftly and conclusively. The integrity of the competition and the credibility of FIFA are at stake.’
England legend Wayne Rooney branded it an ‘absolute disgrace’ and said Infantino should be ‘ashamed’.
He also offered a revealing look behind the curtain, adding: ‘I know it’s UEFA but I got a three-game ban before Euro 2012.
‘I was due to miss the three group games and I got told if I went over to Switzerland and did a training session with a bunch of kids, my third game would get taken off. I agreed to do it because I didn’t want a three-game ban but I thought that was wrong.’
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