FIFA suspended the one-match ban, under Article 27, imposed on United States player F. Balogun following the red card he received against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the round of 32, after pressure from D. Trump.
The red card followed an unintentional challenge by Balogun on Bosnia’s Tarik Muhamerovic. The referee initially did not award a foul, but the VAR official recommended an on-field review after determining that Balogun had stepped on his opponent’s ankle. After reviewing the footage, the referee showed Balogun a straight red card for serious foul play.
Article 27 allows a suspension to be put on hold. However, if the player commits a similar offence within one to four years, the punishment is reactivated.
The US president reportedly held three phone calls with FIFA to ensure that the suspension would not apply, meaning Balogun will be available for his country’s round-of-16 match against Belgium. The Belgian Football Association says the decision is unlawful.
FIFA had previously applied Article 27 to allow Cristiano Ronaldo to play in Portugal’s first two opening matches at the World Cup, despite the red card he had received against Ireland. The punishment would have been a three-match ban, but it was ultimately reduced to one match, which Ronaldo served during the World Cup qualifiers.
Source: Guardian
