Explained: Folarin Balogun’s World Cup red-card reversal, Trump’s phone calls and Fifa’s rationale
Summary
Folarin Balogun, a USA soccer player, had his red-card suspension for a World Cup match against Belgium lifted by FIFA. This unusual decision followed President Donald Trump’s calls to FIFA and involved a rarely used rule that allows suspending disciplinary actions temporarily.Key Facts
- Balogun was sent off with a red card after a video review for a foul during the USA’s win over Bosnia and Herzegovina.
- FIFA initially confirmed that Balogun must miss one match, but then reversed the suspension under Article 27 of their disciplinary code.
- Article 27 lets FIFA suspend punishments temporarily, even overriding referee decisions.
- Balogun’s red card remains on record but his ban is suspended for one year unless he commits a similar foul again.
- President Trump reportedly made three phone calls to FIFA urging them to overturn the ban.
- The White House World Cup taskforce may have challenged FIFA’s use of slow-motion video assistant referee (VAR) reviews legally.
- Article 27 has been used before, including to reduce Cristiano Ronaldo’s ban so he could play in World Cup qualifiers.
- The reversal means Balogun can play in the next USA match against Belgium in the last-16 stage of the tournament.
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