UEFA has strongly condemned FIFA’s decision to suspend the implementation of Folarin Balogun’s automatic one-match ban, describing the move as one that has “crossed a red line” and warning it could undermine the integrity of football.
In a statement, European football’s governing body said the decision to place the suspension on probation for one year went against one of the sport’s fundamental principles.
“Yesterday’s decision to suspend for a probationary period of a year the implementation of the one-match automatic suspension following the red card issued to the player Folarin Balogun crossed a red line,” UEFA said.
The organisation argued that while some football regulations may be open to interpretation, the automatic suspension following a red card is not.
According to UEFA, the one-match ban is embedded in the rules and “cannot be made subject to exceptions,” particularly during an ongoing World Cup where other players sent off have served automatic suspensions.
UEFA warned that failing to apply the rules consistently threatens both the integrity of the game and the credibility of the tournament.
“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,” the statement said.
It also cautioned that the ruling could create a precedent requiring similar treatment in future cases during the tournament.
Meanwhile, former FIFA president Sepp Blatter also questioned the decision, saying red cards should only be overturned through established disciplinary procedures rather than external influence.
“Red cards are not overturned by political phone calls. They are overturned by rules, evidence and independent bodies,” Blatter wrote on X.
He added: “Football must never become a playground for political power.”
The criticism comes after FIFA ruled that the implementation of Balogun’s suspension would be suspended for a one-year probationary period, making the United States forward eligible to play in his country’s World Cup Round of 16 clash against Belgium.
