Trump couldn’t care less about soccer, but he’s managed to overturn one of its clearest rules: if a player gets a red card, he doesn’t play the next game. Balogun will be allowed to play in tonight’s match against Belgian’s Red Devils.
The last comparable World Cup case was in 1962 — eight years before red cards even existed. Back then Brazil’s Garrincha was sent off in the semifinal but allowed to play in the final.

For more than half a century the rule’s been crystal clear.

This isn’t just Trump, this is symptomatic of the US acting as an empire that can do as it pleases, just like it can allow one of its favorite tools – Israel – to commit genocide AND profit from record arms sales at the same time.

If the US team had any honor they’d simply decide not to let the affected player on the field. It would be the smartest thing to do, since a win with Balogun will always be tainted. Worse, if Belgium wins facing Balogun a Belgian victory will taste that much sweeter, since even cheating moves couldn’t stop them.

So go Lukaku, Trossard, Courtois and all the other Rode Duivels under Rudi Garcia.

May waltzing over injustice spur them on.

To be clear: Balogun may genuinely have been wronged, but the remedy demonstrates unequal access to power.

At the world cup in 1994, also in the US, Belgium deserved a penalty against Germany after a foul on Belgian player Josip Weber.

Plenty of players have suffered terrible refereeing decisions without their president being able to phone Gianni Infantino.

Back in 1994 the Belgian king didn’t phone FIFA to undo the referee’s decision, not even when the referee admitted he’d made a mistake.