While U.S. Men’s National Team (USMNT) players and fans were rejoicing and celebrating after hearing that star scorer Folarin Balogun’s red card had been reversed after some intercession from President Trump, allowing him to play in Monday night’s crucial World Cup matchup against Belgium, another group of people was consumed with angst and lamenting how America would be perceived by the world.
Hint: They were not Republicans.
On Sunday afternoon, news broke that FIFA had decided to suspend the red card given to Balogun earlier in the week after a highly controversial VAR review by a Brazilian referee who, as it turns out, evaluated the play incorrectly by using slow-motion footage instead of watching the replay at game speed as FIFA rules dictate, he should do when determining the severity of a penalty.
As news of the shocking reversal emerged, the story of how the red card was suspended began emerging as well. Specifically, the role Trump played in calling FIFA boss Gianni Infantino and in organizing a legal effort spearheaded by litigators prepared to take the international soccer governing body to task for doing great harm to the USMNT’s World Cup hopes by imposing a severe penalty after a very flawed review process.
While most Americans were overjoyed at the red card being suspended and an injustice being undone, certain leftist media members began lamenting not only the president’s intervention, but also how they perceived the world would now look at America and its role in the World Cup.
Self-described British-American journalist Mehdi Hasan went so far as to say he felt it would be the “right thing” for Balogun to reject Trump’s intervention. Presumably, by agreeing to abide by the fraudulently given red card and sitting out the game.
Hasan was not alone.
New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof saw FIFA’s correct reversal of the referee’s decision as proof of “Trump’s America making its own rules.”
Former Obama National Security Council member and Pod Save America co-host Tommy Vietor did a bit better. He expressed joy that Balogun was able to play and even went so far as to say the red-card suspension was an “injustice” that was corrected. Yet, he still seemed upset by how the world would view the development.
So, what to say about the “rest of the world” and the perception of FIFA showing favoritism toward America and our president?
Well, the rest of the world need not bother themselves with such notions because not only was the red card against Balogun assessed incorrectly due to a faulty video review process, Article 27, the section of FIFA’s disciplinary code which gives them the right “to fully or partially suspend the implementation of a disciplinary measure,” has been used this year already on another player.
As Spotrac’s Caleb Pongratz reports, “Earlier this year, Cristiano Ronaldo received a three-match ban for a red card in a World Cup qualifying match against Ireland. However, FIFA deferred two of those games to a one-year probation period, allowing him to play in Portugal’s opening World Cup matches without missing the tournament. The same article used there is being used here.”
New York Times columnists and British-American journalists can rest at ease, because not only is FIFA’s use of Article 27 not unprecedented, but it was also used this year to benefit a European soccer star and ensure he could play in the World Cup.