The Balogun Ban Fight

Folarin Balogun's red card against Bosnia-Herzegovina initially put him out of the USA-Belgium round-of-16 match; FIFA later suspended enforcement of the automatic one-match ban for a one-year probation period, without rescinding the red card itself. 123

The fairness argument widened after Trump thanked FIFA for "reversing a great injustice" and The New York Times reported that he had called FIFA president Gianni Infantino to ask for a review. 4 Belgium's federation said it was "astonished" and argued the decision contradicted the automatic-suspension rule for red cards. 5

On X, the split was blunt: supporters framed the reprieve as a correction for a harsh VAR-backed red card, while critics focused on whether FIFA changed the punishment process for the host nation at the last minute. 6789