FIFA Suspends Balogun's 1-Game Ban After Trump Lobbying, Stirring World Cup Controversy
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · Jul 14
FIFA Suspends Balogun's 1-Game Ban After Trump Lobbying, Stirring World Cup Controversy
3 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Jul 14
Summary
Balogun said he knew FIFA's decision to suspend his automatic one-game ban for a year would trigger controversy, and he sensed nerves inside the US camp before the 4-1 loss to Belgium.
Two days before that last-16 defeat, the striker learned on the team bus that he could play after Trump and White House officials lobbied FIFA over the red card for serious foul play against Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Balogun said the reversal was confusing because the team had prepared without him, though he insisted the squad separated the emotion from the job and stayed fully focused against Belgium.
UEFA called the ruling "unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable," while the head of FIFA's disciplinary committee declined to answer questions about how the decision was made.
The scrutiny deepened because England's Jarell Quansah received a 2-match ban for a similar serious-foul-play red card, underscoring claims that Balogun's case was handled unusually.