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Former FIFA president Joseph “Sepp” Blatter has publicly questioned football’s governing body following the controversial decision to lift Folarin Balogun’s World Cup suspension, warning that sport must never be influenced by political power.Blatter shared his views on X after FIFA overturned Balogun’s automatic one-match ban ahead of the United States’ round of 16 match against Belgium, a decision that came after US President Donald Trump he personally contacted FIFA president Gianni Infantino to request a review of the red card.The former FIFA boss, who was the organization’s president from 1998 to 2015, suggested the episode raised serious concerns about the independence of football’s disciplinary process.
Post by Joseph Blatter
“Red cards are not overturned by political phone calls. They are overturned by rules, evidence and independent bodies. If the president of the United States intervenes with the president of FIFA — and the player is suddenly cleared before a World Cup knockout game — the question is inevitable: Quo vadis, FIFA?Football must never become a playground of political power.”Balogun was shown a red card during the United States’ 2-0 round of 16 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina after catching Tarik Muharemovic on the ankle. The sending-off, issued after a VAR review by Brazilian referee Raphael Claus, triggered an automatic one-match suspension.However, FIFA announced on Sunday that the suspension had been lifted under Article 27 of its disciplinary rules. Instead of serving the current ban, Balogun’s suspension was placed on probation for one year. If he commits a similar offense during this period, the suspension will be activated in addition to any further disciplinary measures.The decision drew widespread attention after Trump praised FIFA for overturning what he described as a “great injustice.”Belgium reacted angrily to the ruling, with the Royal Belgian Football Association saying it was “appalled” and confirming it was exploring all available options to protect the integrity of the competition.Belgium head coach Rudi Garcia also criticized the decision, describing it as unprecedented in World Cup history and questioning the message it sent about the tournament’s disciplinary process.Meanwhile, USA head coach Mauricio Pochettino welcomed FIFA’s decision, arguing that Balogun’s initial suspension was unfair and claiming his team had already been punished enough by playing with 10 men for the rest of the game against Bosnia and Herzegovina.The controversy has become one of the biggest topics of the tournament, with Blatter’s remarks adding further scrutiny to FIFA’s handling of one of the most controversial disciplinary decisions in recent World Cup history.
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