The United States’ World Cup campaign took an extraordinary turn on Sunday when FIFA seemingly broke with its own rules to allow star player Folarin Balogun to face Belgium in Monday’s last-16 clash despite receiving a red card in the round of 32 match against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday.The global football body announced that it had suspended the red card — which had meant an automatic one-match ban for Balogun — after US President Donald Trump personally urged FIFA President Gianni Infantino to review the case.Balogun, who plays his club football for Monaco in France, has scored three goals for the US at this World Cup, and is the team’s leading scorer in the tournament.The FIFA decision prompted criticism from Belgium’s football association, Europe’s top football body, a former FIFA boss, and multiple top former players among others. Critics argued that overturning a red-card suspension after direct political intervention undermined the integrity of the tournament and set a dangerous precedent.Here is a closer look at what happened and why it has set off such a storm:Why did Balogun receive a red card?Balogun received a red card for stepping awkwardly on the right ankle of Tarik Muharemovic of Bosnia-Herzegovina in a 2-0 win fo …
