Why the USMNT’s Folarin Balogun World Cup Scandal Is Far From Over

The future of FIFA president Gianni Infantino is wrapped up in the ongoing quest for clarity over Balogun.

Folarin Balogun was supposed to miss the USMNT’s round of 16 tie with Belgium in Seattle. | John Dorton/USSF/Getty Images

Who could have imagined that one refereeing decision in a match between two international teams outside the world’s top 15 would still be the subject of such fierce global scrutiny more than one month later?

The controversy surrounding Folarin Balogun’s harsh, if not overly egregious, red card for the U.S. men’s national team against Bosnia and Herzegovina could have been over in the bowels of Levi’s Stadium, when Mauricio Pochettino accepted the news that FIFA’s regulations negated any appeal of the decision.

The USMNT manager certainly hoped the storm would subside once FIFA’s independent disciplinary committee made the unprecedented decision to suspend Balogun’s one-match suspension for the round of 16 tie with Belgium. “We aren’t playing the victim,” Pochettino argued, “but we certainly aren’t the villains of this story, either.” Many others would strongly disagree after U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed that he had put in a call to his FIFA counterpart Gianni Infantino to have the decision reviewed.

Belgium threatened to end the bubbling debate with a 4–1 stomping of Balogun and his compatriots in Seattle. Yet, this unflattering narrative still has plenty more room to run.

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‘Independent Review’ Demanded

Donald Trump (left) and Gianni Infantino are expected to come under even more scrutiny. | Ira L. Black/FIFA/Getty Images

Multiple members of the FIFA council set about trying to raise interest in launching an inquest into Infantino long before he unveiled his divisive plans to privatize the World Cup, The Guardian have reported. The first trigger was Balogun’s reprieve and the shadowy circumstances behind a decision which still hasn’t been convincingly explained.

It was initially claimed by a FIFA spokesperson that every red card brought an immediate one-match ban (as a minimum) which could not be appealed. However, after confirmed consultation with President Trump, the decision to suspend Balogun’s ban for one year was solely made by chairman Mohammad al-Kamali of the United Arab Emirates, with the other 17 committee members not asked to be involved.

The vague explanation offered was a referral to Article 27 of the disciplinary code, which simply states: “The judicial body may decide to fully or partially suspend the implementation of a disciplinary measure.”

Infantino has always insisted that he played no role in this successful reprieve. “I explained that there was an ongoing legal process involving FIFA’s independent judicial bodies and that the case would be decided in due course by the competent bodies,” the FIFA president claimed to have told Trump. Yet, the U.S. President was certainly operating under the impression that this was Infantino’s call.

“You made another great decision, if you think about that,” Trump declared during a surreal address before the World Cup final, turning to Infantino and slapping him on the arm. “No, you’ll never get credit. You’ll never get credit for this. Think of it, if he didn’t allow him, and then they could say, ‘We would have won the game if we had our best players.’ So Gianni made yet another of his many good decisions.”

The Norwegian Football Federation has already launched an official complaint to FIFA and Infantino could come under further scrutiny should an extraordinary general meeting be called.

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How Can Infantino Be Forced Into an Explanation?

Infantino is under immense pressure. | Carl Recine/Getty Images

It will take the support of at least 19 of the 37 council members for a meeting to be called which can then lead to a thorough review.

It is thought that the movement had already attracted a double digit haul of candidates before Infantino’s plan to sell off commercial stakes in future FIFA tournaments was unleashed, inspiring even more of a staunch backlash.

UEFA and Concacaf have both publicly denounced Infantino but those two confederations only account for 14 members of the council. With CAF and CONMEBOL described as “fully behind” the president, who is not without some public support elsewhere, it would take the backing of AFC or OFC member associations to force through this meeting.

There could also be a vote of no confidence against Infantino called and this would only take 43 individual member associations to submit a letter. UEFA alone boasts 55 members.

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FIFA Council

• President: x1 UEFA (Gianni Infantino)
• Vice-presidents: x1 AFC, x1 CAF, x1 Concacaf, x1 CONMEBOL, x1 OFC, x3 UEFA
• Members: x6 AFC, x6 CAF, x4 Concacaf, x4 CONMEBOL, x2 OFC, x5 UEFA
• Secretary general: x1 UEFA (Mattias Grafström)

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