Trump Asks #FIFA to Review US Player’s Suspension. Now He Can Play

For the 1st time since 1962, FIFA's reversed a red card decision during the World Cup.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/05/us/trump-fifa-balogun-world-cup.html?unlocked_article_code=1.vVA._DGT.iThQWUo3mFqV&smid=nytcore-android-share

#FIFA Gianni Infantino's been kissing up Trump, so ez call by The Grifter.

I saw the incident & the instant replay.

Not a soccer expert, but Balogun forcefully threw his whole body against Muharemović, which to a novice like me looked like a dangerous, risky move likely to cause injury. Is that allowed in #soccer?

@ginaintheburg

It is not allowed. The reason he got the red card was that when his foot was on the other player's leg instead of letting off he pressed down. It was a very risky play and could have resulted in serious injury. They looked at in on video and determined it was a red card.

@mastodonmigration @ginaintheburg

You're technically correct bc he does technically contact his foot but the replay doesn't tell the story of the play.

Ask any unbiased soccer fan - that was not a red card. And further, that was incorrect usage of VAR as well.

@RVLara23 @mastodonmigration

I think it was a red card. My understanding is a player is expected that once it feels it's made contact w/a body part - & the ankle is a particularly fragile body part plus what else that wasn't the flat ground would he have been in contact w/ - the player is obligated to not bring continued, even increased force (which is exactly what it looks like Balogun did). It looks to me like he didn't exhibit the requisite awareness of his environment or his body.

@ginaintheburg @RVLara23 @mastodonmigration

Re: the player is obligated to not bring continued, even increased force (which is exactly what it looks like Balogun did).

That's not what I saw in real time. I saw him take weight off his foot as soon as he realized it wasn't on the ground. If he didn't, that ankle would have been seriously damaged if not broken.
Remember that reaction time is required between sensing something and getting the muscles to act in response to the conscious command.