World Cup news: FIFA referee slams handling of Folarin Balogun saga

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The Folarin Balogun controversy continues to garner discussion a month after the 2026 FIFA World Cup ended. The current head of referees for the Premier League was the latest to chime in with his thoughts on the matter.

Balogun initially got a red card in the USMNT's Round of 32 clash against Bosnia and Herzegovina. Even though the U.S. won 2-1, they were going to miss the star striker's presence against Belgium. Then FIFA made shocking waves to suspend the red card and allow him to play, with U.S. President Donald Trump even reaching out to FIFA President Gianni Infantino about the red card decision.

Howard Webb, who refereed the 2010 Men's World Cup final between Spain and the Netherlands in South Africa, said that the Balogun saga has damaged trust between the game and supporters. Belgium went on to win 4-1 over the U.S. in the Round of 16.

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"I was really troubled by it [decision to overturn Balogun's suspension]," Webb told reporters, via ESPN. "I don't know the ins and outs of the process, only what happened in the end. Where I was troubled by it was that we live in a world now which is different to the one that I occupied as a ref in that the decisions that are taken were previously viewed as correct or incorrect based on your judgment. Far too often now, decisions are viewed as correct or corrupt by people who want to type all over social media.

"They try to draw inferences around decisions, around the scene, but they don't agree with the motivation behind that decision, which is born out of no facts, no evidence. But when you get that type of situation, it opens up space for people to think, 'Aha, you see this sort of things happening all the time behind the scenes.' "It's really not like that in my experience, in my professional experience. "But the fact that that sort of [political] influence can be had, is just really not reflective of the game that I know."

The precedent FIFA set by suspending Balogun's red card will continue to have future discussions and changes to how the rules take effect on the sport. In the meantime, Infantino has trouble for his own situation as the FIFA President deals with the chance of his stint in the position ending.

Following serious criticism over trying to sell stakes of the World Cup to private investors, Infantino had to back off on that plan. That hasn't stopped many nations on demanding his resignation, wanting a better era for FIFA to begin the road to recovery as the governing soccer body.

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