Former FIFA president Joseph “Sepp” Blatter has publicly questioned football’s governing body after the controversial decision to lift Folarin Balogun’s World Cup suspension, warning that the sport must never become 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 clash against Belgium, a decision that came after U.S. President Donald Trump personally contacted FIFA president Gianni Infantino to request a review of the red card.The former FIFA chief, who served as the organisation’s president from 1998 to 2015, suggested the episode raised serious concerns about the independence of football’s disciplinary process.
Joseph Blatter post
“Red cards are not overturned by political phone calls. They are overturned by rules, evidence and independent bodies. If a U.S. President intervenes with the FIFA President — and a player is suddenly cleared before a World Cup knockout match — the question is unavoidable: Quo vadis, FIFA?Football must never become a playground for political power.”Balogun had been shown a red card during the United States’ 2-0 Round of 32 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina after catching Tarik Muharemović on the ankle. The dismissal, issued following a VAR review by Brazilian referee Raphael Claus, automatically triggered a one-match suspension.However, FIFA announced on Sunday that the suspension had been lifted under Article 27 of its disciplinary rules. Instead of serving an immediate ban, Balogun’s suspension was placed on probation for one year. If he commits a similar offence during that period, the suspension will be activated in addition to any further disciplinary action.The decision drew widespread attention after Trump praised FIFA for reversing what he described as “a great injustice.”Belgium reacted angrily to the ruling, with the Royal Belgian Football Association saying it was “astonished” and confirming it was exploring all available options to protect the integrity of the competition.Belgium head coach Rudi Garcia also criticised the decision, describing it as unprecedented in World Cup history and questioning the message it sent about the tournament’s disciplinary process.Meanwhile, U.S. head coach Mauricio Pochettino welcomed FIFA’s ruling, maintaining that Balogun’s original dismissal had been unfair and arguing his side had already been sufficiently punished by playing with 10 men for the remainder of the match against Bosnia and Herzegovina.The controversy has become one of the biggest talking points of the tournament, with Blatter’s remarks adding further scrutiny to FIFA’s handling of one of the most debated disciplinary decisions in recent World Cup history.
