Uefa disagrees with Fifa's decision on USA striker

The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) has criticised world football governing body FIFA over its decision to overturn a red card issued to USA striker Folarin Balogun during Thursday’s match against Bosnia and Herzegovina at the San Francisco Bay Arena in Santa Clara.

Balogun, who scored before being sent off in the 64th minute, is now eligible to play in the Round of 16 clash against Belgium in Seattle following FIFA’s decision.

Adding to the controversy, the United States government reportedly boasted about its involvement in persuading FIFA to overturn the red card.

“In line with Article 27 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, the implementation of the match suspension is suspended for a probationary period of one year,” FIFA said in a statement.

“If Folarin Balogun commits another infringement of a similar nature and gravity during the probationary period, the suspension shall be revoked and the sanction enforced without prejudice to any additional sanction imposed for the new infringement,” FIFA added.

On Monday, UEFA strongly opposed the decision, saying FIFA had “crossed a red line” by suspending the punishment for the United States men’s national team striker.

“We express our disbelief at such an unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable decision. Football, like any other sport, relies on rules, which are the basis for fair, honest and transparent competition,” UEFA said.

“It is a principle embedded in regulations, which cannot be made subject to exceptions, let alone in the middle of a tournament where several other players have been in the same situation and regularly served their suspension,” the statement added.

The incident is the latest in a series of disagreements between UEFA and FIFA during the ongoing North America World Cup. Earlier, Somali referee Omar Artan was deported by US authorities on June 6. In response, UEFA appointed him to officiate the UEFA Super Cup final between PSG and Aston Villa in Austria, scheduled for August.

There appears to be an increasing rift between the two football bodies. African countries and their supporters have also reportedly faced discrimination during the tournament.

However, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) is yet to publicly condemn FIFA or the North American hosts, particularly the United States and Canada, with CAF president Patrice Motsepe remaining silent on the matter.