Sepp Blatter accuses Fifa of bowing to political pressure over Folarin Balogun red card decision

Fifa is facing intense scrutiny after its decision to overturn a red card for United States striker Folarin Balogun , with its former president Sepp Blatter alleging the move was influenced by "political phone calls". US President Donald Trump welcomed the ruling, amid reports of pressure from the American government. The global football governing body confirmed on Sunday that Balogun’s one-match ban , incurred during the last-32 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina, was suspended for a year, clearing him for Monday’s last-16 clash against Belgium. While Fifa and the White House’s World Cup Task Force have yet to comment on claims of governmental intervention, the swift reversal has raised significant questions. Sepp Blatter, Fifa’s former president, was scathing in his criticism. On his X account, he stated: "Red cards are not overturned by political phone calls. They are overturned by rules, evidence and independent bodies." Folarin Balogun is now cleared to play against Belgium on Monday night (Getty) He challenged the organisation’s integrity, adding: "If a US President intervenes with the FIFA President — and a player is suddenly cleared before a World Cup knockout match — the question is unavoidable: Quo vadis (where are you going), FIFA? Football must never become a playground for political power. #FIFA #WorldCup #GianniInfantino #DonaldTrump." Blatter’s own Fifa presidency ended in 2015 after he received an initial eight-year ban, later reduced to six, concerning a payment to Michel Platini. Both were cleared in Swiss courts. A further six-year suspension was imposed by Fifa’s ethics committee in 2021 for other breaches. The Belgian football association (RBFA) expressed "astonishment" at the decision, confirming it was "investigating all potential options." Reports on Monday morning indicated the RBFA had lodged an appeal against the ruling, with a deadline of 1pm UK time to submit documents. Fifa has not yet confirmed if it has granted the RBFA leave to appeal. The decision also drew sharp reactions from coaches. Belgium’s head coach Rudi Garcia likened the situation to an April Fool’s Day joke, while England counterpart Thomas Tuchel described it as "strange”. Tuchel questioned the precedent, asking: "Who overturns this decision and when and on what grounds? And how far does this go now? It’s just strange for me. We just want to have consistency in the decisions."