Balogun and red card-gate redefines definition of fairness

I want to be VERY clear before I write anything else that regardless of the side you land on with the situation of Folarin Balogun and the suspension of his game ban after receiving a controversial red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina; NONE of this tempest should be laid at the feet of Balogun or the US Men’s National Team. They did not mishandle the situation. Balogun was professional and gracious when he was issued the red card. He shook the referee’s hand. He did not complain or in any other way act the fool. And his team stepped up for nearly the entire second half of the Bosnia match, down a man.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic summed up the situation well:

Zlatan speaks on Flo Balogun's suspension being lifted@Ibra_official pic.twitter.com/j7Hy9IUGdJ

— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) July 5, 2026

So if you’re not American, any ire you feel? Save it for FIFA. They mishandled the situation in all of the ways that it could be mishandled. They should have been fully transparent from the start by addressing the following:

• The VAR was used incorrectly after no call was made on the play that eventually resulted in Balogun’s red card
• A committee made the decision, not the FIFA president
• The red card was controversial to begin with, since Balogun was not the player doing the attacking
• The review prior to the Monday round of 16 match was already in process when President Donald Trump inquired about the review process

Now with those things said, I present the following thoughts for your consideration.

1. Europeans judge fairness based on process instead of outcome, while Americans judge it on righting a wrong so the outcome is fair. It is a foundational difference in worldview. One is not more right than the other. Americans observed Balogun’s red card as unjust, with the resulting penalty being a missed game by their most productive striker. They were incandescent with rage.
   
   European teams have all been burned by unfair, unjust, and controversial football decisions. They complain loudly, but ultimately accept their fates. That the United States fought it and seemed to win is tantamount to CHEATING.
   
2. Trump’s phone call to Infantino to ask for a review — even though it seems to have been incidental — added gasoline to the tinder. It is unwelcome by Americans and non-Americans alike and the most distasteful part of the entire story.
   
3. FIFA is a corrupt organization who took bribes in its awarding of the 2022 World Cup to Qatar. Twenty-four years of scandal was uncovered — FAR worse than what has happened this time around. However much you hate FIFA, it’s not enough. I won’t apologize for that sentiment.
   
4. The most ideal situation from a fairness perspective to the “process” would be for the U.S. to keep Balogun on the bench for the match. They still have Pulisic , who is a great striker in his own right, and there is a decent chance they would win without Balogun.
   
5. The most ideal situation from a fairness perspective is demonstrably UNFAIR to Balogun. His infraction was not malicious, the review not in line with VAR usage rules, and now European teams are unfairly cursing him though he conducted himself with dignity and professionalism.
   
6. I will not countenance a scenario in which Belgium is the victim here. They were not part of the infraction in question. Tarik Muharemovic was (he’s the fellow who got stepped on). Fortunately he was able to continue playing and his team reaped the benefit of 35 minutes of the US team being a man down. They were unable to capitalize. It’s an unfortunate situation, but let’s just tell the truth. Balogun isn’t a menace: it’s not like he’s out there trying to hurt the other team. Yeah, I said it. You won’t get an apology from me on that. FIFA and Trump need to do better, but the USMNT is NOT the issue.

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