FIFA president Gianni Infantino is playing a dangerous game by suspending Folarin Balogun's red card ban, according to football writer Jonathan Wilson. The move undermines the credibility of the sport, which relies on faith in its integrity.
Integrity at stake
Wilson recalls an incident 25 years ago in Bucharest where a journalist bet against Chelsea, only for Chelsea to score twice in the final minutes. While Wilson saw drama, the Romanians saw a fix due to their experience with match-fixing in the Ceaușescu era. This cynicism, Wilson argues, is fatal to sport, which thrives on unpredictability and authenticity.
"What makes sport great is that it is unknowable," Wilson writes. Scripted outcomes would be boring, but real-life drama—like a team scoring twice in minutes—is the finest drama known to man.
Balogun's suspension
Balogun's red card ban was suspended under article 27 of FIFA's disciplinary code, allowing him to play. Wilson criticizes this as arbitrary justice, especially after US President Donald Trump boasted about prevailing on Infantino to intervene. No appeals process determined the red card was incorrect, raising questions about favoritism toward big teams and stars.
Wilson also notes other questionable decisions: Lionel Messi escaped a red card for a studs-up challenge on Algeria's Aïssa Mandi, and Cristiano Ronaldo's three-game ban for a red card against Ireland was reduced to one game so he could play every group-stage match. FIFA also gerrymandered the Club World Cup qualifying process to include Inter Miami and Messi.
Big-team bias
The tournament has lacked shocks, with big teams like Argentina and England advancing. While this benefits TV audiences, Wilson warns that doubts about financial motivations can erode trust. Refereeing has been patchy, and VAR inconsistent, fueling conspiracy theories.
"FIFA likes famous players to be involved," Wilson writes. "What if entertainment concerns, the grubby lust for growth, have come to supplant sporting concerns?"
The danger
Wilson concludes that sport means something only when it is believable. "Football without faith is nothing," he says. Marketing must never take priority over sporting integrity. When the perception of integrity is lost, doubt lingers—and if it lingers too long, the sport dies.
