President Donald Trump reportedly pushed for FIFA to allow United States striker Folarin Balogun to play on Monday against Belgium.
FIFA stunned the soccer world with its announcement Sunday that Balogun’s one-match ban for his straight red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the World Cup Round of 32 had been suspended and he would be allowed to play in the Round of 16.
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Sunday afternoon, several reports emerged that Trump called FIFA president Gianni Infantino on Wednesday and asked for the World Cup governing body to review Balogun’s ban.
According to The Athletic, FIFA has granted Belgium the ability to appeal the suspension of Balogun’s red-card ban. A member of FIFA’s appeals committee will hear the case, The Athletic reported.
UEFA — the Union of European Football Associations — also criticized the decision to suspend Balogun’s one-game ban.
“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,” UEFA said in its statement.
“We express our disbelief at such an unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable decision.”
U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Andrew Giuliani, the executive director of the White House Task Force for the World Cup, helped recruit lawyers and communicated with U.S. Soccer officials as they presented their case to FIFA to ask for Balogun’s ban to be lifted. Trump reportedly also called Infantino midway through last week to ask for the red card to be reviewed.
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Trump and Infantino have a chummy relationship. The two have been especially friendly in public as the president is expected to play a role in the trophy ceremony at the World Cup final on July 19. In December, Infantino and FIFA awarded Trump the inaugural “FIFA Peace Prize” at the World Cup draw.
After FIFA announced Balogun could play, Trump posted to social media and thanked FIFA for reversing what he said was an “injustice,” though he did not imply that he had a role in FIFA’s decision.
In its statement announcing Balogun could play against Belgium, FIFA cited Article 27 in its sporting code. That article states that “the judicial body may decide to fully or partially suspend the implementation of a disciplinary measure.”
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Balogun’s red card has been suspended for a year.
Before the Balogun decision, the only other time FIFA had allowed a player who received a red card to play in the subsequent game came in 1962, when Brazil’s Garrincha was allowed to play in the final after a red card in the semifinal.
Brazil went on to win its second straight World Cup that year. It is still the most recent team to win consecutive tournaments.
Belgium said it was “astonished” Balogun was allowed to play after getting the red card. Balogun was sent off in the 64th minute of the game against Bosnia and Herzegovina after he stepped on the back of defender Tarik Muharemović‘s leg.
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“I didn’t know that at the World Cup the 5th of July is actually the first of April. It’s April Fools,” Belgium coach Rudi Garcia said at a Sunday news conference.
Balogun was not called for a foul in real time, but video replay officials sent referee Raphael Claus to the replay monitor. While at the monitor, Claus saw Balogun’s foul in slow motion. According to FIFA’s VAR rules, replays to determine the intensity of offenses “should” be shown at “normal speed.”
