Balogun no isolated case! How FIFA 'skewed' a 1962 World Cup final

Balogun no isolated case! How FIFA 'skewed' a 1962 World Cup final FIFA officially announced today that Florian Balogun’s red card has been suspended on probation. The American will therefore be allowed to play in the Round of 16 against Belgium (Tuesday, 2 a.m.) despite being sent off in the Round of 32 against Bosnia and Herzegovina. As sports journalist Ben Jacobs reported, FIFA received a direct call from the White House before making the decision. Did the Americans perhaps remember the 1962 World Cup? Back then, FIFA was facing a similar problem. In the World Cup semifinal, Brazilian player Garrincha had also received a red card against Chile after violent conduct. It was a disaster for the federation. After Pelé’s injury, Garrincha was considered the star of the tournament. Among other things, the then-28-year-old had scored twice in the semifinal (4–2) before being sent off. A final without the absolute superstar? Apparently not an option for FIFA. After a request from the Brazilian federation, Garrincha was cleared to play in the final. The Seleção then won the final 3–1 against Czechoslovakia. Ironically, Garrincha had caught a cold before the match and, playing with a fever, did not have much of an impact. Florian Balogun, on the other hand, could do exactly that for the USA against Belgium. This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.