Star forward Folarin Balogun was named to the United States’ starting lineup for Tuesday’s World Cup round of 16 match against Belgium, just hours after FIFA rejected an official European appeal in a controversy that has deeply divided the sporting world.In the United States’ 2-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina, Balogun was sent off directly for stepping on an opponent’s ankle and was automatically suspended for one game. However, following a personal call from US President Donald Trump to FIFA president Gianni Infantino, FIFA’s disciplinary committee took the extraordinary decision to suspend the ban for a year and allow the striker to compete.Global backlash and protestsThis highly controversial ruling immediately sparked outrage across European football. European governing body UEFA launched a scathing attack on the decision, calling it “unprecedented, incomprehensible and unreasonable”. In a bid to prevent the striker from playing, the Royal Belgian Football Federation lodged a formal appeal to have the ban reinstated. However, the FIFA Appeals Committee abruptly rejected the request, ruling that the Belgian FA lacked the appropriate legal standing to challenge the disciplinary committee’s selection.The tense political drama spilled onto the streets of Seattle before the game even began. Angry Belgian supporters marched to the Loumene Stadium chanting “FIFA Mafia” slogans to protest against what they saw as unfair political interference. In an effort to defuse the situation, Infantino publicly stated that he played no personal role in the independent disciplinary committee’s ruling. The committee also fined Balogun $40,000, a penalty that can be vacated by U.S. Soccer.quarter final betsBalogun’s addition is a huge boost for the tournament’s organizers, as his three goals currently top the United States’ scoring charts. History is coming for Team USA, a team that has never won back-to-back knockout stage games in World Cup history.This game provides a chance for revenge, as Belgium eliminated the United States at this stage of the 2014 World Cup. The winner of this tight contest will face Spain on Friday in Inglewood, Calif., for a spot in the semifinals.
