United States striker Folarin Balogun has admitted he expected widespread controversy after FIFA suspended his World Cup ban following intervention from US President Donald Trump, saying the unprecedented decision created unwanted pressure before the Americans’ defeat to Belgium.
Balogun received a straight red card during the USA’s round-of-32 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina. FIFA’s disciplinary committee later suspended the automatic one-match ban for a year, allowing the Monaco forward to feature in the last-16 clash against Belgium.
The decision triggered fierce debate across world football. Human rights organisation FairSquare has since lodged a complaint with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), alleging FIFA president Gianni Infantino breached political neutrality rules through his dealings with Trump over the case.
Speaking to CBS, Balogun admitted he quickly realised the decision would dominate headlines.
“My initial reaction was I was happy to be back in the team, but when I kind of started to reflect, I knew it was going to cause a lot of controversy,” he said.
“I could almost see within my team-mates a bit of nerves because it’s something that is so unique.”
The 25-year-old said the growing attention made it difficult for the squad to focus before facing Belgium.
“The closer we got to the game I tried to just focus as best as I could, but it was difficult. A lot of outside noise, and that’s hard to avoid,” he added.
Balogun also maintained that the original dismissal against Bosnia and Herzegovina should never have resulted in a red card.
“I was in shock,” he said. “It wasn’t even a tackle. I just had to accept the decision and try to be there for my team.”
He added that accidental incidents should not lead to dismissals.
“When something’s not intentional it should never be a red card. It was an unfortunate situation, and I think it put a lot more pressure on us than we needed.”
The controversy continues to grow beyond the pitch.
FairSquare argues Infantino breached Olympic political neutrality rules and has also filed complaints with FIFA’s ethics committee. The Norwegian Football Federation and 50 Members of the European Parliament have separately urged FIFA to investigate the decision-making process behind Balogun’s reprieve.
According to The Times, disciplinary committee chairman Mohammad Al Kamali suspended the ban on his own, an action the newspaper described as unprecedented. FIFA has not publicly explained why the suspension was granted.
