SEATTLE -- When Folarin Balogun received a red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday, the subsequent controversy was familiar. Was the call right? (Probably.) Did the punishment fit the crime? (Probably not.) Should FIFA look into how the World Cup is adjudicated and see if changes are warranted? (Always.)
Still, as divisive and passionate as the debate was, it was of the normal, sporting variety.
Then yesterday, "normal" went up in flames.
Citing article 27 of FIFA’s disciplinary code, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee took the unprecedented step of suspending Balogun’s one-game suspension. Absurd legalese on its own, the decision was made further incomprehensible by the lack of any explanation as to how the committee came to their decision. Instead, filling the void were the now confirmed reports that Donald Trump personally called FIFA President Gianni Infantino to ask that Balogun’s suspension be lifted.
What has ensued has been the most chaotic 24 hours of perhaps any World Cup this century. Infantino has defended the “independent” and “autonomous” nature of FIFA’s judicial bodies. Belgium had their appeal denied on the grounds that they are “not a party to the decision.” All while fans, pundits, journalists, coaches, and players bemoan corruption, politics, and sporting integrity - or lack thereof.
Regardless of how this still-unfolding episode might be interpreted, what’s undeniable is this: the sitting President of a World Cup host nation personally lobbied to lift the suspension of that nation’s star striker. Then it was lifted.
At best, the unprecedented ruling was merely coincidental - inequitable decision-making meets awful optics. At worst (and more likely) it’s blatant corruption.
Either way, the integrity of the USMNT vs Belgium has been called into question. And the only way that integrity can be restored is by sitting Balogun.
For manager Mauricio Pochettino, that’s likely an impossible ask. Those at the top of the game are hard-wired to take advantage of every opportunity they’re presented with. Their competitive impulse is so strong - their tunnel-vision so focused - that expecting them to forego an inexplicably legal (even if entirely unethical) advantage goes against every fiber of their competitive being.
Furthermore, the Argentine has been (understandably) reticent to involve himself in anything resembling politics since taking charge of the USMNT in 2024. Despite being the face of the Men’s national team, Pochettino is effectively just an employee of U.S. Soccer, and wading into the messy politics of a country not his own risked far greater personal consequences than any reward.
But not anymore.
Whether Pochettino likes it or not, politics are now an undeniable and significant part of his team’s story. Trump’s petitioning and the Disciplinary Committee’s decision hangs over them like a dark cloud.
If Balogun plays against Belgium, the simple act of stepping onto the field could end up defining not only his career, but this team, this tournament, Pochettino’s tenure, and even U.S. soccer for years to come. What’s at stake isn’t just integrity, but legacy.
Pochettino will be well aware of the dubious circumstances that surround Argentina’s first World Cup victory in 1978. Despite the results, many soccer fans regard the Albiceleste’s win on home soil with suspicion, as the country’s military junta played an outsized role in tournament meddling. It wasn’t until Maradona’s glorious World Cup run eight years later that their footballing legacy was (at least in part) restored.
With the USMNT, the situation is similar. Should they beat Belgium with Balogun on the field, Trump’s political interference will forever be a part of their victory. An asterisk in the eyes of football fans around the world.
For some - like Trump - that won’t matter. Those who only think in terms of wins and losses will see any U.S. defeat as failure and any U.S. victory as success. But if this World Cup has shown us anything, it’s that football is about far more than results and people are far better than the politicians who govern them.
In losing, Cape Verde won our hearts and minds. In Kansas, Algerians became family. Now, in Seattle, a new, pivotal chapter of this World Cup - one that extends far beyond the confines of the pitch - is about to be written.
Should Pochettino start Balogun, it will be a tacit acceptance of a dangerous precedent. An obedient step on the ever-slippery slope towards powerlessness.
But should he do the unthinkable and keep Balogun on the bench, then whatever the cost might be for the USMNT on the field, we’ll all have won off of it.