Loyal and patriotic football fans around the globe have more than had their fix this summer as the planet has been treated to the joys, and the heartbreak, of the 2026 World Cup which as been triple co-hosted for the very first time by the United States of America, Canada and Mexico. It is also the first instalment of Gianni Infantino’s expanded and boosted 48 national team set up.
Of course, for England fans in particular who have long had issues with FIFA’s idea of what constitutes politics in sport, and dare we utter the sporting integrity series of words, Infantino has very much left us holding his beer. The Peace Prize, ‘certain and specific’ suspensions being sent into the Twilight Zone and that was before a ball had even been kicked in anger or VAR and a 4th official had suffered a random round of chanting. You would have certainly got enhanced odds on the 3 minute water sponsorship breaks and how they have been welcomed by a crowd who are paying far more than is moral to begin with.
As we near the quarter final stages of this summers’ tournament, fans of all country colours can be forgiven for now being slightly hacked off with the convenient rules and decisions that now seem to be regularly taken, when it of course, pertains to certain players, certain countries and a certain ‘Orange man’ who remains as clueless about the ‘beautiful game’ as he does tan lines and not looking like he has been accidently lightly grilled on a barbeque.
Naturally, the main topic of discussion this week is the totally unexpected decision to suspend Florian Balogun’s straight red card for 12 months just so he could play in the United States’ clash with Belgium.
Fairs fair…it was a horrible decision by the Referee to begin with and was never a yellow card, let alone a straight red. The Assistant Referee’s did not help and were obviously enjoying the local beach, and the less said about the Video Assistant Referee’s and their failure to do the simplest of tasks that VAR was invented (and forced on us) for, is probably better left in the minds of individual fans.
Coming to the decision to remove the red card would have been the right choice, but suspending it for 12 months is trite. It is a rule that nobody can remember being used previously whilst a tournament was taking place because it is well understood red cards cannot be appealed, so we now have a new precedent in the game. It is also a rule that is clearly to be applied to strict offences, namely it is specifically stated that it cannot be used for anything related to ‘match manipulation’.
This would both explain it never having been used before, and why nobody has heard of it. It is a fair guess that being unable to appeal red cards whilst there is a rule dealing with ‘match manipulation’ sort of suggests it is not a rule that is meant for use within normal match events themselves.
But here we are after a special telephone call from the President of the United States, who does not like things being ‘rigged’, who got the exact outcome he had wanted from an Independent Panel, who had naturally been convened in secret days earlier, so no pressure was applied, nothing untoward happened and their decision was not influenced in any way.
They must have been so surprised to be called in on overtime to decide on whether a rule that had never been used before should set a special precedent when it suited arguably the star player of the main host nation. Imagine how angry they would have been at the news Mr Trump had called Mr Infantino to politely request the very decision they later came to. They would have instantly known that their integrity and that of the sport itself, would then be a question in every newspaper in most countries around the world.
That is a horrible position that they have been put in even though absolutely nothing of any note, or discussion worthiness, took place or happened. The sensationalist media has a lot to answer in this day and age. Unexpected and very specific meetings happen in secret to decide on precedents being set which may possibly help the host nation all the time – this one should not be looked at differently just because Mr Trump is involved and has been tied to a freely admitted telephone call that had absolutely no bearing on the eventual decision anyway.
Fake news, horrible piggies, biggly IQ tests and a war department that has ended itself 18,000 times.
The English Football Association should appeal Gazza’s yellow card from 1990, Quansah’s red from the last game and whatever else they can think of including advanced suspensions and pardons for any bookings in our future game with Norway.
Then again, Norway spruce up Christmas with a few trees and maybe the English FA are not so self absorbed, thin skinned and as entirely useless as many think. We might not want to turn the rest of the football brotherhood against us by throwing our toys out like a little tiny handed child with dubious former friends.
We might also not want to see Thomas Tuchel’s side utterly implode in the way the US team did given the unfair spotlight that was disrespectfully shone on them as a consequence of the actions of others.
Sometimes Karma will stay out of things when you just watch yourself watching television.
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