UEFA issues blistering statement over FIFA's Folarin Balogun's decision

European soccer’s governing assemblage issued a blistering connection connected Monday aft FIFA suspended the reddish paper prohibition issued to USA World Cup prima Folarin Balogun.

UEFA said FIFA’s determination to suspend the implementation of Balogun’s one-game suspension "crossed a reddish line."

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Folarin Balogun scored 2 goals successful his archetypal World Cup crippled for the US. (Getty Images)

"Football, similar immoderate different sports, relies connected rules, which are the ground for fair, honorable and transparent competition," UEFA said. "Sometimes rules are unfastened to interpretation. In this lawsuit not. A minimum automatic suspension of 1 lucifer pursuing a reddish paper is not a discretionary enactment and does not necessitate the determination of a competent assemblage to beryllium enacted. It is simply a rule embedded successful regulations, which cannot beryllium made taxable to exceptions, fto unsocial successful the mediate of a tourney wherever respective different players person been successful the aforesaid concern and regularly served their suspension."

UEFA expressed concerns with mounting a precedent successful the tourney and adding questions to the "integrity of the game."

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Bosnia's Sead Kolasinac (5) talks to United States' Folarin Balogun aft Balogun was sent off, arsenic Christian Pulisic (10) watches during the World Cup circular of 32 lucifer betwixt the United States and Bosnia successful Santa Clara, Calif., Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (Julio Cortez / AP)

"Football is the astir loved athletics successful the satellite due to the fact that it is simply a beauteous crippled and is trusted due to the fact that it is played everyplace with the aforesaid laws," the connection continued. "A tourney is ne'er a axenic standalone and, if the tourney successful question is the World Cup, it has the powerfulness to thrust affirmative oregon antagonistic consequences connected the crippled arsenic a whole.

"We explicit our disbelief astatine specified an unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable decision."

Balogun volition beryllium disposable to play connected Monday successful the Round of 16 match.

President Donald Trump called FIFA President Gianni Infantino to inquire for a reappraisal of the decision, a root told Fox News.

Trump, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnik and White House task unit person Andrew Giuliani enactment unneurotic a squad of lawyers extracurricular the White House to situation the usage of slow-motion replay to springiness Balogun the reddish card, according to OutKick laminitis and Fox News contributor Clay Travis.

Folarin Balogun of the U.S. men's nationalist squad speaks to media earlier grooming successful Seattle, Washington, connected July 3, 2026. (Steven Bisig / Imagn Images)

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Belgium was reportedly granted the close to entreaty the decision.