The red card system at the World Cup has been thrown into disarray after the decision to effectively overturn the red card shown to United States forward Florian Balogun, allowing him to play in the last-16 match against Belgium. Balogun, the US's top scorer with three goals, was sent off in the last-32 win over Bosnia-Herzegovina and would normally face an automatic suspension. This marks only the second time in World Cup history that a player has not served a suspension after a red card, the first being Brazil's Garrincha in 1962, a decision also shrouded in allegations of political interference. Fifa's disciplinary committee offered no reason or explanation for suspending Balogun's ban, simply citing "article 27 of the Fifa disciplinary code," which allows Fifa to suspend a disciplinary measure without meeting other criteria. This article has never before been used at a World Cup. Multiple reports, unconfirmed by the BBC, suggest US President Donald Trump called Fifa president Gianni Infantino to request a review of the red card, raising questions about political influence given the close relationship between the White House and Fifa. The decision raises significant questions about footballing precedent. It is unclear why Balogun received a reprieve while the other 11 players sent off at this World Cup have all served suspensions. The ruling may lead to more appeals in football to cut suspensions, even when red cards were justified under the rules, and casts doubt on the certainty of the "misses next match" rule for future red cards.
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