FIFA's unprecedented decision to suspend Folarin Balogun's automatic red card ban following an intervention from US president Donald Trump has plunged the World Cup into a massive governance crisis. Photo: AFP
The FIFA World Cup has always been about moments that transcend politics.
It is where rival nations settle scores with football diplomacy, and where the laws of the game are expected to apply equally whether a player wears the colours of Brazil, New Zealand, France or the US.
That principle has now been been called into question.
Fifa's decision to suspend Folarin Balogun's automatic one-match ban following discussions involving their president Gianni Infantino and US president Donald Trump has created one of the biggest controversies of the 2026 World Cup.
