Sepp Blatter, the former FIFA President, has expressed his disapproval of FIFA’s choice to lift a red-card suspension that allows U.S. forward Folarin Balogun to participate in a World Cup game against Belgium. This decision has drawn praise from President Donald Trump and led to dissatisfaction among Belgian soccer authorities.
The controversy began after Trump reached out to FIFA President Gianni Infantino following the U.S. match against Bosnia-Herzegovina, where Balogun was dismissed. According to The Associated Press, a source familiar with the call relayed that Trump requested FIFA to revisit the red card decision.
In a post on the social media platform X, Sepp Blatter criticized the reported involvement of Trump. He stated, “Red cards are not overturned by political phone calls. They are overturned by rules, evidence and independent bodies…. If a U.S. President intervenes with the FIFA President — and a player is suddenly cleared before a World Cup knockout match — the question is unavoidable: Quo vadis, FIFA? Football must never become a playground for political power.”
Blatter led FIFA from 1998 until 2015, stepping down amid a corruption investigation. Earlier this year, he supported a proposed fan boycott of World Cup games in the United States, citing concerns about Trump’s actions domestically and internationally.
Newsweek has sought additional comments from Blatter through an email sent to the Sepp Blatter Foundation.
This story is still unfolding, and further updates will be provided as new information emerges.
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