Gianni Infantino shares a clear and firm message about Folarin Balogun’s red card suspension.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino has shared a statement about the decision to suspend Folarin Balogun’s red card before the United States’ World Cup round of 16 game against Belgium.
Balogun got a straight red card during the US win over Bosnia and Herzegovina on July 2 after accidentally stepping on Tarik Muhamremovic’s ankle. Because of this, the 25-year-old Monaco striker, who has scored three goals so far in the World Cup and is one of the team’s top forwards, was set to miss the next match automatically.
But in a surprising move, it was announced on July 5 that Balogun’s red card suspension would be paused for a year. This means he’s now able to play in Monday’s game against Belgium in Seattle. FIFA referred to Article 27 of its Disciplinary Code, which allows suspending a punishment that was already given.
The decision to lift Balogun’s red card has caused quite a stir, especially with the Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA), who said they were “astonished” by the news. They added that to keep the rights of all teams and fair play in the World Cup, they are looking into all their options.
On Monday, US President Donald Trump said he had called FIFA president Gianni Infantino to ask for the red card to be reviewed. In fact, he claimed, “I’m the one that got them to do it,” according to Sky News.
A few days after FIFA announced the suspension of Balogun’s ban, Infantino spoke about the situation in a statement posted on UEFA’s social media. He confirmed his conversation with President Trump about the decision.
Infantino said, “I’ve seen the public talks about the decision by FIFA’s independent Disciplinary Committee to suspend Folarin Balogun’s red card, and I want to remind everyone how FIFA’s system works.
“FIFA’s judicial bodies are independent. They work on their own, using FIFA’s rules and the facts of each case to make their decisions. Their independence is very important for the fairness and trust in football, and it has to be respected.
“Yes, I often talk about the World Cup with the President of the United States, and yes, I did get a call from President Trump. I also get calls from other world leaders, officials, football people, and business leaders about various topics.
“In our talk, I told him there was a legal process happening with FIFA’s independent bodies and that the case would be decided in the right way and time. That’s how FIFA works, and this principle is very important to me.
“I read the committee’s decisions when they come out. Sometimes I’m surprised, sometimes I agree, and sometimes I don’t.
“But no matter what, I respect their decisions and the independence of those who make them. Whether we like a decision or not doesn’t matter. Respecting independent bodies and following the rules is what keeps our competitions fair and FIFA trustworthy.”