By Breaking Belize News Staff (HP): The United States’ World Cup campaign has taken an extraordinary turn, after FIFA appeared to break with its own rules to clear star player Folarin Balogun to face Belgium in Monday’s last-16 clash, despite a red card that should have ruled him out.
According to Al Jazeera, FIFA announced that it had suspended the red card, which carried an automatic one-match ban, after United States President Donald Trump personally urged FIFA President Gianni Infantino to review the case. The unprecedented move has sparked a major controversy in the football world.
Balogun, who plays his club football for Monaco in France, has scored three goals for the United States at the tournament, making him the team’s leading scorer. He had been sent off in the round of 32 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina for stepping awkwardly on the ankle of an opponent, a decision made after a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review.
The original red card had itself divided opinion. Al Jazeera reports that while some felt it was justified, others argued Balogun was off balance and made accidental contact rather than a deliberate stamp. United States coach Mauricio Pochettino insisted it was never a red card offence, and Balogun himself said he felt a yellow card would have been fair.
However, it was FIFA’s decision to overturn the suspension after direct political intervention that has drawn the fiercest backlash. Al Jazeera reports that the ruling prompted criticism from Belgium’s football association, Europe’s top football body, a former FIFA boss, and several former top players, among others. Critics argued that reversing a red-card suspension following a call from a head of state undermined the integrity of the tournament and set a dangerous precedent.
For football fans in Belize, it is a story that raises big questions about fairness and the influence of politics in the sport. Should a red card be overturned because a president made a phone call? Many around the world are saying no, and the debate shows no signs of dying down.
The post Trump call gets USA star’s red card lifted, and football is furious appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
By Breaking Belize News Staff (HP): The United States’ World Cup campaign has taken an extraordinary turn, after FIFA appeared to break with its own rules to clear star player Folarin Balogun to face Belgium in Monday’s last-16 clash, despite a red card that should have ruled him out. According to Al Jazeera, FIFA announced
The post Trump call gets USA star’s red card lifted, and football is furious appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
