European Football governing body, UEFA, has accused FIFA of crossing a red line after it suspended the automatic one-match ban imposed on US Men’s National Team forward Folarin Balogun.
Balogun was sent off during the United States’ 2-0 win against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the round of 32 clash at the ongoing 2026 World Cup and was due to serve a mandatory one-match ban as punishment.
However, FIFA announced on Sunday the ban would be suspended for a year, making the player eligible to play in the round of 16 knockout tie against Belgium.
The decision has been slammed by UEFA which described it as “unprecedented, incomprehensible, and unjustifiable.”
“Football, like any other sports, relies on rules, which are the basis for fair, honest, and transparent competition. Sometimes rules are open to interpretation. In this case not.” UEFA said in a statement posted on its website Monday.
Multiple media outlets reported that the ban was suspended after US President Donald Trump called FIFA President Gianni Infantino last Thursday to speak about it. On Sunday, Trump thanked FIFA for “doing what was right and reversing a great injustice.”
The alleged political influence on FIFA’s operations also drew concern from Former FIFA President Sepp Blatter who reacted to the development in a post on X, saying that “football must never become a playground for political power.”
UEFA said a minimum automatic suspension of one match following a red card is not a “discretionary option” but a principle embedded in regulations.
“When the certainty of rules is no longer guaranteed by its guardians, the integrity of the game is at stake and the credibility of a competition is undermined,” UEFA said in a statement posted on its website Monday.
“Equally, such decision creates a precedent in the ongoing tournament, where similar situations will now require an equal treatment, to the detriment of the competition,” the statement added.
The USMNT take on Belgium on Tuesday as both sides search for a spot in the quarterfinals of the competition.
