‘Rule Broken!’: UEFA furious as FIFA clears US striker Balogun to play against Belgium
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "‘Rule Broken!’: UEFA furious as FIFA clears US striker Balogun to play against Belgium")
‘Rule Broken!’ UEFA furious as FIFA clears US's Balogun to play against Belgium Photograph: (X)
UEFA slams FIFA for "crossing a red line" after Donald Trump intervenes to suspend US star Folarin Balogun's World Cup red card ban ahead of the Belgium clash.
In a startling move ahead of the US’s Last 16 World Cup match against Belgium, UEFA has slammed FIFA for ‘crossing a red line’ and lifting US striker Folarin Balogun's one-game ban. This move, however, brought fairness, honesty and transparency, the foundation of trust among fans, players and the game, under scrutiny.
FIFA’s ruling came after US President Donald Trump intervened in the matter, seeking help from FIFA president Gianni Infantino to review the foul. Upon checking, FIFA, strangely, without any justifiable footballing reason, permitted Balogun to play against Belgium despite receiving a straight red card in his team's win over Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Also read| Donald Trump thanks FIFA after Folarin Balogun ban suspended, cleared for Belgium showdown
"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 UEFA's strongly worded statement. "Football, like any other sport, relies on rules, which are the basis for fair, honest and transparent competition. Sometimes rules are open to interpretation. In this case, not."
European football’s governing body, UEFA, also warned of the repercussions for the sport as a whole.
)
‘Rule Broken!’ UEFA furious as FIFA clears US's Balogun to play against Belgium Photograph: (X)
"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," it said. "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.”
What is Balogun’s red-card issue?
Balogun, who smashed three goals at the ongoing World Cup, was set to miss the crucial pre-quarterfinal match against Belgium after receiving a straight red card following a video review for stepping on a Bosnian defender during the Round-of-32 match, which the US won 2-0.
Under the FIFA rules, a straight red card means an automatic one-match ban, which, in this case, was the US’s next match against the European giants in Seattle.
The twist in the tale came when Trump called up Infantino, asking him to review Balogun's punishment, two sources familiar with the matter said per an AFP report. In the meantime, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also publicly called for the card to be rescinded.
Trending Stories
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
However, after reviewing the decision, FIFA's disciplinary committee suspended the ban, adding that it will remain suspended for a year, shocking the football community worldwide.
"Thank you to FIFA for doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice!" Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
Belgium head coach Rudi Garcia was the latest to slam this move, saying, "I didn't know that at the FIFA World Cup, the 5th of July is now the 1st of April, and that it's April Fool's Day.”
