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The controversy surrounding the overturned red card for American forward Folarin Balogun continues to reverberate through the 2026 World Cup, despite the US team's elimination from the tournament. According to the British newspaper The Times, FIFA President Gianni Infantino has lost the support of several key nations within the organization, who believe his decision "crossed a red line."
The Times reports that the football federations of Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, and Belgium have lost some trust in Infantino. The Belgian team even faced the US and Balogun himself in the quarterfinals, ultimately defeating them.
In response to FIFA's decision, the dissatisfied federations have taken concrete action: they issued official statements challenging the annulment of the penalty and clearly demonstrated their disagreement with the interference in sporting and technical decisions. This rift highlights growing tensions within the governing bodies of world football and calls into question the authority of the FIFA president.
However, amidst the sharp criticism, there are still those who continue to support Infantino. The English Football Association has expressed its full backing, even sending a letter to FIFA headquarters, addressed personally to its president.
The so-called "Balogun case" arose after the American forward was shown a direct red card in the Round of 16 match of the 2026 World Cup against Bosnia and Herzegovina. Despite this, he was reinstated and allowed to play in the next round against Belgium. According to media reports, this occurred after a phone call between former US President Donald Trump and Gianni Infantino.
All 104 matches of the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico can be watched live on bnt.sportal.bg.
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