Historic World Cup Furor At ‘Incomprehensible’ FIFA Decision To Let U.S. Forward Balogun Play

GENEVA (AP) — The biggest debate of all time in the 96-year history of the World Cup was in full swing Monday before hosts the United States and forward Folarin Balogun met Belgium in the quarterfinals.

Belgian football association He said he challenged FIFA Decision to let Balogun play Despite receiving a red card in his previous game, he made the shocking move following pressure from world football leader Gianni Infantino on Sunday. close ally US President Donald Trump.

The “deeply concerned” statement, made just 11 hours before the Belgians kicked off their round of 16 match in Seattle, made clear FIFA’s frustration with what appeared to be a lack of good will in shaping an urgent legal process.

European football institution UEFA had previously criticized FIFA for “an incomprehensible and unjustified decision” and stated that FIFA “crossed the red line” by not implementing this decision. Mandatory one-match ban for Balogun For his foul against Bosnia and Herzegovina last Wednesday.

FIFA’s decision on Sunday to suspend Balogun’s sentence for a year deviated from football’s traditional rule of law and drew harsh criticism from around the world, including from former World Cup stars and coaches in this tournament.

“This is a bad, bad, bad, bad, bad decision that will damage the World Cup,” Norway coach Ståle Solbakken said on Sunday after his team beat Brazil to reach the quarter-finals.

UEFA, whose member associations include Belgium, insisted: “Sometimes the rules are open to interpretation. In this case, no.”

“When the precision of the rules is no longer guaranteed by their guardians, the integrity of the game is at stake and the credibility of the competition suffers,” the European football body said. clashed with Infantino During his ten years in power at FIFA.

UEFA, where Infantino served as CEO-like general secretary from 2009 until his election as head of FIFA in February 2016, said: “We express our belief in such an unprecedented, incomprehensible and unfair decision.”

FIFA was asked to comment on the UEFA criticism on Monday.

Infantino’s predecessor, Sepp Blatter, who was dismissed in 2015 due to corruption scandals, posted on social media on Monday: “Red cards are not overturned by political phone calls. They are overturned by rules, evidence and independent institutions.”

Belgian officials were preparing for an appeal in Seattle early Monday to challenge the Balogun decision with a FIFA-appointed appeal judge. They said FIFA had not provided documents that were key to making a valid appeal.

The round of 16 match against the USA will start at 17:00 local time.

The Belgian federation said: “Whatever the sporting outcome of the match, we are deeply concerned by this course of events and, in the coming hours, days and months, we will continue to pursue in every possible way to protect the fundamental principles of decency, sporting justice and the interests of football as a whole.” he said.

Football rules require teams ultimately judged to have fielded an ineligible player to have the game abandoned as a 3-0 loss. Belgium must first apply to FIFA and then to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Balogun was sent off outright for stepping on Bosnian defender Tarik Muharemovic’s ankle during the USA’s 2-0 win in the round of 32.

Such a challenge has been a routine red card in competitions around the world all season and Balogun could have faced a two-match ban for serious foul play under FIFA disciplinary rules.

Yet similar struggles by star players went unpunished in this World Cup. Lionel Messi for Argentina against Algeria and Achraf Hakimi of Morocco against Brazil. Portuguese Bernardo Silva received only a yellow card against Congo.

“I think a yellow card would be fair” Balogun later suggested.

This World Cup was remarkable for FIFA under Infantino. Rewriting disciplinary norms even before the tournament starts.

An example of amnesty It opened FIFA to proposals for administrative interference in the legal independence of its judicial bodies, including the disciplinary panel that formally suspended Balogun.

Cristiano Ronaldo has been allowed to play in Portugal’s opening match of the World Cup despite receiving a red card for serious fouling in a qualifying match against Ireland last November. He elbowed his opponent.

Ronaldo served his mandatory suspension in Portugal’s final qualifying match but was given a reprieve from his expected two-game suspension as FIFA introduced the idea of ​​probation. The three-game ban imposed was less significant as two games were postponed within the one-year trial period.

In the opening match on June 11, South Africa’s Themba Zwane received a red card against Mexico for a charge similar to Ronaldo’s. FIFA imposes 3 match ban without probation. Zwane did not play again in the World Cup.

Three players who were sent off from their teams’ qualifying matches last year were surprisingly told by FIFA in May that they could serve their suspensions in a future competition rather than the World Cup, which has been the long-standing norm.

Ecuadorian midfielder Moisés Caicedo, Argentinian defender Nicolás Otamendi and Qatari defender Tarek Salman were banned from the World Cup.

FIFA said in May this was to ensure teams “can compete on the biggest stage of international men’s football with the strongest possible squads”.

Balogun’s decision took this policy further, but so far no red card has been shown to other players who are required to miss at least one game.

“This is a principle enshrined in the regulations that cannot be subject to exceptions,” UEFA said, “in the midst of a tournament where several players are in the same situation and regularly receive suspensions.”