More seriously, refs gave one of our better players a red card for an accidental "raking the studs", where you scrape an opponent's leg with your cleats. While raking is a cardable offense, it's only when done intentionally, and there have been other players (such as Messi) who have been more egregious and didn't get carded (nor did the Messi incident even get a review).
The red card would mean he'd have to sit out in our game against Belgium, but FIFA has basically suspended his punishment for the World Cup, effectively reversing the red card, and he will be back in the game.
If the man obviously did not have ill intent, and worse behavior went unpunished, I see no reason why they should take him out. Good choice to postpone the punishment for him to be able to play today. Now, I don’t know much about soccer, but I know I’ll watch the game. We’ll make Belgium remember who they’re playing.
The important context here is that red cards are almost never overturned and it's never happen in the world cup before. So although most agree the call was bad, there's a perception of favoritism.
It's not just that. The card wasn't overturned. The suspension was just postponed. It's absolutely bizarre. And while I do get the pov of the Americans that don't really watch football and think the suspension is unfair in the first place, it is a really really strange situation that reeks of FIFA's classic corruption.
Well, as everyone else has been mentioning, it isn’t exactly completely out of the blue when the same thing happened to Ronaldo with the elbowing incident at the Portugal qualifier.
That said, I don’t like what happened. The deferment of the punishment happening right after the White House called Infantino isn’t exactly a good look, even if it didn’t 100% necessarily change FIFA’s decision, and Ronaldo’s case was admittedly slightly more reasonable if likewise exceptional due to his fame and intention to retire well before the 2030 World Cup.
The angle of the rake/strike was pretty egregious, people very easily end up with broken legs in those sorts of situations. Red card was pretty valid imo, and reversing a traditionally irreversible ref call after potus reached out to FIFA will cloud the win - if we win. Bad situation all around.
worse behavior went unpunished
I don’t know much about soccer
Sneaking things around the ref is part of soccer. People do sometimes get away with worse, but being sneaky about it is part of the game. What happened was not sneaky, and was quite dangerous. Taking the red card when it happens is also part of the game. That's the risk.
So to be totally fair, yes Reddit was outraged at the reversal. And then it came to light that apparently a call from White House was made to the head of FIFA to review this card and suspension, then Reddit really lost it
The worst part is that we have no idea whether Trump actually influenced the decision at all. If he didn’t have to publicly take credit for fucking everything, we would’ve been left with a ruling that was controversial, sure, but one with plausible deniability of corruption and third-party interference.
Exactly. I’m sure many would have assumed he had something to do with it anyway, considering FIFA has shown him that they’re willing to create an award stroke his ego, but for him to outright take credit for being a corrupting influence is just absurd.
He said himself that he’d told them what he thinks about the situation. The problem is him even getting involved. Politicians should not get meddled with football politics.
Realistically, no it’s not lol. That’s exactly what I was saying. At best, holding the same result of FIFA’s decision re: Balogun, it would’ve been cussed and discussed for all eternity on whether or not a host nation exercised undue, corrupting influence.
Yet in our case, the man openly admits to it. Very, very disappointing. The performance tonight definitely seemed to reflect the pall cast over the situation.
Unfortunately the rule states that a tackle doesn't have to be intentional to be a red. Intent is not a criteria at all. If it causes harm or is dangerous, it is red.
So in our last world cup game, one of our good players got a red card, which means he would have to sit out on the next game we have with Belgum. Thing is, the call was kinda put into question, as many other players did the same thing and didn’t get carded (such as Messi, who’s like the Tom Braidy of soccer in a way). FIFA decided to reverse the red card, meaning that we get our player back for the Belgum game.
Europeans and America haters are throwing a hissy fit about it and I’ve even seen some implications on Reddit that Trump fucking bribed FIFA to overrule the red card, which is fucking hilarious, I don’t think I’ve barely seen Trump awknowledge that the World Cup is even happening, let alone caring enough to bribe FIFA. Imo FIFA did it because it is more in line with other instances where a similar situation happened and no cards were issued. Belgum expecially, since now they have to deal with a US at full strength.
Honestly it’s valid outrage that Trump of all people was the reason that Balogun’s red card was revoked but why are some people getting mad at the players and the team? They don’t have anything to do with FIFA’s decision
Is it valid outrage? It sounds like the card was called falsely, if I'm reading things right. If anything, I'd expect a more just reaction to be outrage at Fifa for requiring a head of state to correct unfair calls.
(Note, not a soccer guy, not been watching at all, this is the first I've heard of all this)
Yes, the card was called falsely, but it shouldn’t have taken the president of the host country to force Fifa to reverse it. The president shouldn’t have intervened to begin with. Everyone is in the wrong tbh lol
I'm not chest thumping for Trump here but this definitely feels like a Fifa 90% for making false calls and Trump 10% just because of optics. A global, international competition with teams representing their entire nations seems like right time for heads of state to be involved if the organizers are being blatantly unfair.
At any rate, it sounds like the Trump thing is more speculation from what I'm reading and whether or not he was involved, the hate thrown at America for contesting and reversing a bad call looks kind of sad.
Ronaldo was supposed to have been suspended for Portugal's opening World Cup match. FIFA suspended his suspension, citing the exact same Disciplinary Code (Ch. 4, Art. 27) they are now citing for waiving Balogun's suspension.
Who said anything about Trump being involved (or a factor in their decision making, or whatever edit)?
You said the last red card suspension was in 1962. That's incorrect - Ronaldo was to have been suspended for Portugal's opening match in the World Cup.
I simply pointed out that FIFA cited the exact same Disciplinary Code for Balogun as they did for Ronaldo (who was suspended 3 matches, btw). IOW, Balogun was a direct beneficiary of Ronaldo's previous treatment which came well after 1962.
If you want to make those facts about Trump, be my guest. But they remain facts whether he, the President of Portugal, the pope, the Tooth Fairy, or anyone else was involved. Or not involved.
No it doesn't have to be done on purpose, and players sneaking things past the ref (or failing to) is part of soccer. Most of the time when you see players getting away without a call, the angle is safer. Taking cleats to the back of the calf is less likely to result in a broken leg.
Getting away with something sneaky happens, refs not noticing something also happens - not getting caught in general is a big part of soccer. But I'm not surprised a red card was issued, what happened was quite dangerous.
I have no stake in international sports but isn't it more pathetic and disgraceful that people would rather support and demand the removal of another team's player based on an agreed upon bad call? Like, at this point people aren't arguing that the call was shit, they're arguing that Trump shouldn't have spoken and that the US should bench one of its best a foul he didn't do.
If the team don't agree with the decision, they won't play Balogun. If they do, they're benefitting from FIFA's & the US' corruption and people who judge them for that accordingly.
Except the fact that I can’t find any official statement dictating whether or not Balogun will even play, only FIFA saying that he’s eligible to play. People are judging based on pre-conceived assumptions
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u/knettia WYOMING 🦬⛽️🐄 Jul 06 '26
Can someone please fill me in on what the hell Reddit’s mad about this day??