Balogun expected controversy after World Cup ban waived
US striker Folarin Balogun discusses the controversy surrounding the decision to waive his one-game World Cup suspension. The decision, which followed reported lobbying by US officials, caused significant tension within the team and drew criticism from European football authorities.
Why it matters
It highlights the intersection of international sports governance, political influence, and the integrity of competitive fairness.
Figure caption, 'Sportsmanship in question' after decision to suspend Balogun red card
United States striker Folarin Balogun says he knew Fifa's decision to suspend his one-game ban at the World Cup was going to create "a lot of controversy" and could see the resulting "nerves" among his team-mates.
Balogun, 25, was dismissed for serious foul play against Bosnia-Herzegovina in the last 32 and should have received an automatic suspension.
However, Fifa's disciplinary committee suspended his ban for a year - a decision that prompted widespread condemnation, particularly when it emerged US President Donald Trump and White House officials had lobbied football's world governing body about the American's sanction.
Balogun, who scored three goals at the World Cup, was able to start the USA's last-16 defeat by Belgium - a decision European football's governing body Uefa called "unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable".
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