Fifa has accused Uefa of hypocrisy in an escalating public dispute over its decision to lift the one-match suspension of the USA striker Folarin Balogun, allowing him to play in the World Cup last-16 tie against Belgium, which the USA lost. Fifa argued that overturning red cards is a common disciplinary measure across Uefa-affiliated leagues that has never previously been described as crossing a "red line", directly rebutting Uefa's strongly worded condemnation. The row matters because the reprieve is unprecedented at a World Cup and came after lobbying of Fifa by Donald Trump and senior White House officials, raising questions about the integrity and independence of the competition's disciplinary process.

Balogun was sent off in the last-32 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina, and red cards normally trigger an automatic one-match ban under tournament rules. In a statement attributed to disciplinary committee chair Mohammad Al Kamali, Fifa insisted the card was not overturned but that the suspension's implementation was paused under Article 27 of its disciplinary code, a discretion it says is not unprecedented and was used during World Cup 2026 qualifiers. Fifa president Gianni Infantino said he was unaware of the decision until after publication and stressed the committee's independence, while Trump said he had phoned Infantino to ask for the card to be reviewed. Belgium remain angry and are considering taking the matter to the court of arbitration for sport.