The FIFA president is in Donald Trump’s pocket

Fifa announced on Sunday that the US number one striker Folarin Balogunin the suspension received for the red card does not take effect. Balogun is now allowed to play in the quarterfinals against Belgium.

How lucky for the United States! Although it was hardly a lucky strain, rather a Trump strain.

“Thank you Fifa for doing the right thing and undoing a great injustice!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social account.

The New York Times and the AP news agency reported, citing inside sources, that Trump called Infantino last week and urged Fifa to review Balogun’s suspension.

Although according to the rules of the World Cup tournament, a red card automatically brings a suspension of at least one match, Fifa decided to make an exception for Balogun.

Football’s umbrella organization announced that the American forward’s punishment has been changed to a one-year suspension, meaning that if Balogu receives another red card during the year, only then will he be suspended.

Decision caused a huge international uproar. The fair competition vanished into thin air. The question is, how on earth can Fifa break its own tournament rules?

Answer: oh, very easily!

Anyone who has followed Infantino’s Fifa in recent years knows that the moral backbone of the organization bends to sharp corners always according to Infantino’s interests.

Technically, Fifa appealed to Article 27 of its disciplinary regulations, which guarantees its disciplinary committee a kind of veto right.

According to the article, Fifa can postpone or shorten suspensions at will. The back door is conveniently built into the system.

It’s no surprise that Infantino leaned in to kiss Trump’s toes. The Fifa boss is already firmly seated in his Maga cap in Trump’s pocket.

Fifa for example, has rented its New York office in Trump Tower. Infantino is a member of the “Peace Council” established by Trump, and he accompanied the US president on his state visits to the Middle East.

Already years ago, Trump talked at the Davos economic forum that he and Infantino organized the World Cup in the United States, because “you wanted the tournament there and I wanted it”. Fifa has, of course, denied that Infantino had a favorite host.

When Infantino handed Trump a gold medal and a huge trophy as the “Fifa Peace Prize” in December, it was probably the most embarrassing moment in sports history.

Trump’s and Infantino’s World Cups will be remembered as games of unfairness and arbitrariness. A Somali referee who was turned away from the border, travel bans for fans of several participating countries, unfair treatment of the Iranian national team, “drink breaks” dedicated to advertising revenue… Now the suspension has disappeared.

Jo before the Games, Fifa used its Article 27 to its advantage.

Superstar Cristiano Ronaldo had received a red card and a three-match ban in the World Cup qualifiers, but Infantino wanted the Portuguese star for the World Cup. Thus, Ronaldo had to suffer only one match, the rest of the suspension was changed to conditional by Fifa.

The main principle of sports is that the rules are the same for everyone. That no one is favored. And that sports organizations are impartial and fair.

Infantino’s Fifa is… something else. Like an apartheid organization, which also fits well with Trump’s ideology, when one group is treated differently than another.