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When Football Stops Time, the Laws Must Not Stop Being Fair
By Paul Lucky Okoku
A single challenge became an international controversy. What began as a referee’s decision evolved into a global debate involving VAR, FIFA’s disciplinary process, President Donald Trump’s reported request for a review, Belgium’s protest, and fundamental questions about fairness, consistency and trust in modern football.
Football has always been a game played in seconds.
Sometimes history is made with a goal.
Sometimes with a save.
Sometimes with a referee’s whistle.
As I watched the United States face Bosnia and Herzegovina at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, I was reminded how one moment can overshadow ninety minutes of football.
More than forty years ago, when we played the game, there was no VAR.
There was no pitch-side monitor.
No freeze-frame replay.
No assistant reviewing every critical incident from a video operations room.
Only one referee.
One whistle.
One decision.
Sometimes we agreed.
Sometimes we disagreed.
But football was judged at the speed it was played.
Today, football still moves at full speed.
Justice often arrives in slow motion.
The United States defeated Bosnia and Herzegovina 2–0.
Yet the result quickly became secondary.
The football world began talking about one challenge.
One review.
One red card.
Folarin Balogun was initially allowed to continue after challenging for the ball. Only after a VAR review did the referee return, reach into his pocket and produce a straight red card.
Within minutes, football divided into two camps.
One believed the referee had correctly applied the Laws of the Game.
The other believed the punishment was too severe for what appeared to be an accidental football action.
The debate did not end after the final whistle.
It intensified.
FIFA later suspended the implementation of Balogun’s automatic one-match suspension, making him eligible for the Round of 16 while leaving the red card on his disciplinary record. Reports from major news organizations also described President Donald Trump’s request that FIFA review the decision, Belgium’s objections, and a wider debate over consistency in modern officiating.
Suddenly, this was no longer just a story about one tackle.
It became a story about football itself.
This article is not written to defend reckless challenges.
Neither is it written to criticize referees.
Football cannot exist without officials, and player safety must always remain a priority.
My purpose is different.
It is to examine three important questions.
First, did the referee correctly apply the Laws of the Game?
Second, why did FIFA later suspend the implementation of Balogun’s one-match ban?
Third, what does this controversy teach us about consistency, transparency and trust in modern football?
As a former international footballer, I believe these questions deserve thoughtful analysis rather than emotional reaction.
Football School: Intent vs. the Law
One of the biggest misconceptions in football is that a player can receive a red card only if the act was intentional.
That is not what the Laws of the Game say.
Under IFAB Law 12, the referee considers whether a challenge used excessive force or endangered the safety of an opponent. Intent may be relevant, but it is not the only consideration.
That explains why many supporters looked at the replay and said, “It was accidental,” while the referee could still conclude that the challenge met the threshold for serious foul play.
Those are two different judgments.
One is emotional.
The other is legal under the Laws of the Game.
Personally, based on my playing experience, I would have been more comfortable with a yellow card.
That is my football opinion.
It is not a claim that the referee had no legal basis to send Balogun off.
Reasonable football people can disagree.
What matters most is that similar incidents are judged with similar consistency.
Beyond the Red Card
The Balogun controversy eventually became much larger than the challenge itself.
It raised questions about VAR.
It raised questions about FIFA’s disciplinary procedures.
It raised questions about transparency.
It even entered the worlds of politics and international football governance.
Those developments deserve to be examined carefully, factually and fairly.
Because in football, credibility is built not only on making difficult decisions.
It is built on convincing players, coaches and supporters that the same standards apply to everyone.
When the Final Whistle Was Only the Beginning
For most supporters, the story appeared to be finished.
The referee had shown a straight red card.
Under FIFA competition rules, that normally carries an automatic one-match suspension.
The expectation was simple.
Folarin Balogun would miss the United States’ Round of 16 match against Belgium.
Then football took an unexpected turn.
Several days later, FIFA announced that the implementation of Balogun’s one-match suspension had been suspended under its disciplinary procedures, allowing him to play against Belgium while the red card itself remained on his disciplinary record.
That distinction is important.
The referee’s decision was not erased.
Instead, FIFA’s disciplinary body exercised a separate authority after the match.
Many supporters did not understand that football operates on two different levels.
The first is what the referee decides on the field under the IFAB Laws of the Game.
The second is what FIFA’s disciplinary bodies may decide after reviewing the consequences of that decision under FIFA’s own regulations.
Understanding that difference helps explain why this controversy became so complex.
Why the Decision Could Not Simply Be Appealed
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A Global Debate Beyond Football
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Belgium’s Response
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The Pochettino Perspective
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The Messi Comparison
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A Football Perspective
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Some will believe the referee correctly applied IFAB Law 12.
Others will believe a yellow card would have been a more proportionate punishment.
Both positions can be defended.
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Respecting the Referee While Pursuing Consistency
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Lessons from the Balogun Controversy
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A Call for One Standard
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Conclusion: Beyond One Red Card
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Football evolves. Technology evolves. The Laws evolve. But fairness must never evolve into inconsistency.
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Sources and References
• This analysis draws upon the IFAB Laws of the Game (Law 12), the FIFA Disciplinary Code (including Article 27), official FIFA statements, and reporting by the Associated Press and Reuters regarding the Balogun disciplinary decision and subsequent developments.
Paul Lucky Okoku
FIFA Legend | CAF Silver Medalist | Former Nigerian Super Eagles & Flying Eagles International | Former Olympic Qualifying Team Member | Football Analyst | Founder, GTCF