During the 2026 FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) World Cup round-of-32 match between Bosnia Herzegovina and the USA on 1 July, USA striker Folarin Balogun trampled on the right ankle of Tarik Muharemovic of Bosnia. Observers differed in their interpretations of the incident, and were divided between those who considered it an unfortunate accident and those who saw it as a deliberate offence. Raphael Claus, an experienced Brazilian referee, was in no doubt, however, and Balogun was sent off in the 64th minute of the match with a red card after a VAR (Video Assistant Referee) review. This would normally lead to an automatic one-match suspension. Balogun happened to be the highest scorer for the USA in the tournament, with three goals to his credit, and some viewed his exclusion from the imminent round-of-16 knock-out stage match against Belgium with some apprehension. Balogun himself was quoted as saying, on 3 July, that a yellow card “would have been fair.”
Following its own investigation, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee, an ‘independent judicial body’, found Balogun guilty on 5 July of infringements of Articles 14 and 66 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code. A one-match suspension was imposed, alongside a fine of $40,000. Following a sending-off, Article 66.4 of the Code mandates automatic suspension from the subsequent match. But having imposed a one-match suspension, the Disciplinary Committee also found mitigating circumstances and exercised its discretion to apply Article 27 of the Disciplinary Code, suspending the implementation of the one-match sanction for a probationary period of one year.
It soon emerged that President Donald J. Trump had stepped in to help put matters right and phoned Gianni Infantino, FIFA President, described in some circles as a ‘Trump sycophant.’ By so doing, he appeared to have set the wheels in motion for Balogun’s return to action. Trump thanked FIFA on 5 July for “reversing a great injustice.” The following day, he revealed at a press conference at the Oval Office that “I spoke to Gianni. I asked for a review by FIFA.” He justified his intervention by stating: “That wasn’t a foul. That wasn’t even an infraction. That was just two guys running full speed who happened to crash into each other.” He was particularly critical of the referee and questioned his competence. Trump’s intervention appeared to have yielded a tangible result in favour of the USA team, as Balogun was allowed back into the game against Belgium.
Not everyone was happy. The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) was “astonished by FIFA’s decision.” UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) issued a statement on 6 July, stating that “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…We express our disbelief at such an unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable decision.” The FIFA Disciplinary Committee Chair soon retaliated, as might be expected given the outright condemnation of its actions. Mohammad al-Kamali was not directly named in FIFA’s release, which pointed out that “in the majority of top-tier leagues belonging to UEFA-affiliated member associations the overturning of red cards is a common disciplinary measure, yet this has never raised concerns about crossing any ‘red line.’”
As it turned out, Balogun’s rehabilitation did not make a difference to the outcome of the match, which was decided 4-1 in Belgium’s favour. Meanwhile, FIFA’s decision made history. The last time a World Cup red card had been rescinded was in 1962, when Garrincha received a red card during the semifinal in Chile but still went on to feature in the final, when Brazil won the coveted trophy for the second time in a row.
The decisions made by football referees may at times appear somewhat subjective, taken in the heat of the moment with incomplete information, and thereby subject to challenge and VAR appeal. During this World Cup, some defeated teams have indeed criticised and appealed referees’ decisions that went against them. That is inevitable in matches where the stakes are high and national pride can be a victim. What is different about the Balogun incident is the overt way in which powerful people appear to have colluded in an attempt to influence the outcome of a match, tarnishing the reputation of the ‘beautiful game’ during the world’s biggest tournament in the process. The RBFA is right in declaring that “international football is best served by a disciplinary and governance framework that fully upholds the principles of legal certainty, transparency, equal treatment and fair play.” But now that an unfortunate precedent has been set, one might reasonably ask: Whatever next?
Ashis Banerjee