Cote: Folarin Balogun back for U.S. is Trump, politics invading this World Cup | Opinion
Bit of an eventful weekend, eh?
Americans celebrated the country’s 250th birthday in the traditional way, lighting fireworks while drunk.
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, worried about the attention a church wedding might attract, instead rented Madison Square Garden for their nuptials.
LeBron James kept the Miami Heat and other NBA teams waiting for The Decision 2.0.
England and Norway dramatically won Sunday’s World Cup soccer matches to reach Saturday’s quarterfinal against each other in Miami.
And Balogun happened — the biggest controversy yet in this World Cup filling stadiums and drawing record TV audiences across the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
To an otherwise successfully hosted World Cup, this tempest grows like a monstrous weed as one of the biggest scandals in the tournament’s 96-year history. It is a stain.
Before the red-card overturn, the U.S. team, if not quite lovable to the rest of the world, was seen as the underdog on an impressive run, worthy of cheers. Now, we’re the Ugly Americans again, the team getting home-field advantage and granted a political gift.
We will get to England-Norway in a few, but first we must tackle the sudden, unexpected and polarizing reinstatement of American striker and top goal scorer Folarin Balogun, who saw his red-card suspension set aside enabling him to play in Monday night’s huge Round-of-16 match vs. Belgium in Seattle.
Yes, because what controversy could possibly arise from a global sporting event involving soccer’s infamously corrupt organizing body, FIFA, and U.S. President Donald Trump?
So Balogun drew a red card in the Round-of-32 win over Bosnia & Herzegovina, meaning he would be suspended for the following game — Monday’s match. The crimson card was lifted in the game after a VAR (Video Assistant Referee) review, and U.S. hopes sank.
I thought it was a terrible call against Balogun, personally, an unwarranted red. I was in a sports bar at the time cheering for my country while dressed like Uncle Sam. But still.
It was a gut punch to U.S. chances against Belgium — let alone against the dream of a first American men’s World Cup title.
But wait!
Trump makes a call to FIFA president Gianni Infantino — his friend who recently had presented Trump with a made-up global peace prize — and (it’s a miracle!) Infantino soon orders the enactment of FIFA Article 27, enabling the “Suspension of Implementation of Disciplinary Measures.” Rarely used, but just in time here to lift U.S. hopes.
And to cause predictable-but-understandable outrage in Belgium and across Europe.
Prior to the Balogun gift, the only previous time a World Cup red card was nullified during the tournament was in 1962 when FIFA overturned the suspension of Brazil star Garrincha.
Trump confirmed Monday that he personally asked Infantino to review the red card given to Balogun, saying he believed it to be unfair but insisting he did not pressure FIFA to overturn the suspension.
“All I did was ask for a review because I didn’t think it was a foul,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “I didn’t tell him what to do. I can’t tell him what to do.”
The president and FIFA chief have been friendly most of Trump’s presidency. Famously, in a 2018 Oval Office meeting, Trump is seen showing a red card to a laughing Infantino.
Seen impartially, the red card to Balogun was certainly disputable, could be seen either way. The replay has since been scrutinized more than anything since the Zapruder film.
The United States was justified for feeling cheated. Now Belgium is justified for feeling the same.
The thing is, now, the controversy is no longer about a play on the pitch, but about politics and about back-channel skulduggery.
It began right after Wednesday’s U.S.-Bosnia match when Andrew Giuliani (Rudy’s son) called Trump to notify him about the red card. That same night, U.S. Soccer began formulating a plan to challenge the red. Four days of back-channel lobbying ensued. On Thursday, Trump called Infantino to inquire about the red card.
After the decision to suspend Balogun’s red card and allow him to compete Monday night, FIFA said the decision was made by its 18-member disciplinary committee, but declined elaboration.
Monday, Infantino issued a long statement. Included: “FIFA’s judicial bodies are independent. They operate autonomously ... and decide cases based on the applicable regulations and specific facts before them. Their independence is essential to the credibility and integrity of football.”
Of his relationship with Trump, Infantino said: “Yes I regularly discuss matters related to the FIFA World Cup with the President, and on this matter, I did receive a call from Donald Trump ... and explained the case would be decided in due course by the competent bodies.”
Trump’s initial call to Infantino might have stayed quiet(er), but this president, as most know, likes to take credit for all he can and oft more. I’m surprised he hasn’t yet claimed he invented the automobile and ice cream.
So Trump blurts Sunday afternoon on social media, “Thank you FIFA for doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice! President DONALD J. TRUMP.”
Belgium coach Rudi Garcia said he first thought it was a joke when he heard the news: “I didn’t know that at the World Cup, the 5th of July is actually the first of April — it’s April Fools’ [Day],” said Garcia on Sunday, later adding, “We’re not defending the national team or federation. We are defending football.”
Norway coach Stale Solbakken called it, “A bad, bad, bad, bad, bad decision that will hurt the World Cup.”
A spokesman for UEFA, the European soccer federation, said, “Sometimes rules are open to interpretation. In this case not. When the certainty of rules is no longer guaranteed by its guardians, the integrity of the game is at stake and the credibility of a competition is undermined.”
I would admit the patriotic U.S. citizen in me is happy Balogun will be playing Monday night .... but not the way it happened.
The unfortunate reality:
Belgium will forever feel cheated if it loses Monday night, and understandably — but also has been given a huge added incentive to win in spite of the Balogun ruling. And the U.S. must now overcome that Belgium emotional edge ... while knowing if it wins, history might demean the triumph with a forever asterisk.
Let us detour and mention quickly the newly minted England-Norway quarterfinal match that Miami is getting. It’s a great one as England — the father of modern futbol — works for its first men’s World Cup championship since 1966, while Norway is after its first world crown.
Norway’s 2-1 win Sunday over Brazil was richly earned. It was a shutout until a very late penalty kick. This was not the Brazil of its greatest days; this was not “the beautiful game.” This Brazil was content to play defense. And the best player on the field, as usual, was Norway’s 6-5 striker Erling Haaland. Now Miami is gifted Haaland and Norwegian fans’ stirring “Viking Row” chant.
England’s 2-1 victory against Mexico — and that insane Azteca Stadium crowd — also was richly deserved. Mexico dominated much of the match, yet England overcame playing most of the second half a man down after a red card. It was a statement that a crowd does not win a game; the superior team does. And, as usual, the best player on the pitch the Brits’ striker, Harry Kane.
What a delightful subplot to this World Cup — that the globe’s very best players, Argentina’s Lionel Messi, France’s Kylian Mbappe, Haaland and Kane, are at the forefront of the giants angling for the Golden Boot scoring title.
Casting a shadow now, though, is that controversy over Folarin Balogun’s reinstatement, and the unseemly likelihood politics have butted in where politics don’t belong and should never be.
This story was originally published July 6, 2026 at 11:56 AM with the headline "Cote: Folarin Balogun back for U.S. is Trump, politics invading this World Cup | Opinion."
