UEFA says the reversal of Folarin Balogun’s suspension by FIFA is “incomprehensible” and a decision that has “crossed a red line.”FIFA had previously insisted the USMNT did not have the right to appeal the red card shown to Balogun during the 2–0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina on Monday, with world soccer’s governing body confirming the striker would be banned for Monday’s meeting with Belgium.One day before the round of 16 clash, FIFA changed its tune following a conversation with President Trump and the White House, which has confirmed the talks with FIFA but has denied any involvement in the reversal of Balogun’s suspension.Criticism of the move has not been in short supply and UEFA, the body in charge of European soccer, have joined the growing number of dissenting voices. A statement read: “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.“Football, like any other sports, relies on rules, which are the basis for fair, honest and transparent competition. Sometimes rules are open to interpretation. In this case not. “A minimum automatic suspension of one match following a red card is not a discretionary option and does not require the decision of a competent body to be enacted. It is a principle embedded in regulations, which cannot be made subject to exceptions, let alone in the middle of a tournament where several other players have been in the same situation and regularly served their suspension.“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. Equally, such decision creates a precedent in the ongoing tournament, where similar situations will now require an equal treatment, to the detriment of the competition.“Football is the most loved sport in the world because it is a beautiful game and is trusted because it is played everywhere with the same laws. A tournament is never a pure standalone and, if the tournament in question is the World Cup, it has the power to drive positive or negative consequences on the game as a whole.“We express our disbelief at such an unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable decision.”WIN FIFA WORLD CUP 2026™ FINAL TICKETS & OTHER PRIZESCompete against the world. | Sports IllustratedUEFA Continues to Reject FIFA’s ChangesFIFA president Gianni Infantino is under fire. | Carl Recine/Getty ImagesFIFA has been in the spotlight throughout this World Cup, attracting criticism for a whole host of decisions.The general finances involved with this tournament, including sky-high ticket prices, has been among the main talking points alongside the controversial introduction of mandatory hydration breaks in each half of action.UEFA is already reported to have rejected the idea of enforcing hydration breaks in Europe. While the concept of a pause for hydration is common in high temperatures, there will be no pauses in play unless medically advised, which comes as a welcome boost to the fans who see this summer’s hydration breaks as little more than an extra commercial break.READ MORE FALLOUT TO BALOGUN’S BAN REVERSALThis World Cup has also brought about a handful of on-field rule changes, one of which is the decision to show an automatic red card to any player found to have covered their mouth in a heated altercation with an opponent.The rule was actually a response to an incident in the UEFA Champions League, in which Real Madrid winger Vinícius Júnior accused Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni of hiding his mouth to cover up racist abuse. No concrete evidence of either argument could be found.While agreeing that players concealing their mouths deserves punishment, UEFA has already confirmed it will not follow suit with red cards and instead plans to use yellow cards.READ THE LATEST WORLD CUP NEWS, ANALYSIS AND INSIGHT FROM SI FCAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow