UEFA has strongly criticized FIFA's decision to lift the suspension of USA striker Folarin Balogun ahead of Monday's last-16 tie against Belgium, as reported by The Guardian.
Europe's governing body described the move as "incomprehensible and unjustifiable" while accusing the world football's governing body of crossing "a red line."
The shocking call has sparked heavy opposition, leading Belgium to grant an appeal against the decision.
However, there are no guarantees regarding when the decision will be made or whether FIFA will publicly release its reasoning for lifting the suspension.
US President Donald Trump reportedly lobbied FIFA repeatedly to lift the suspension of the 25-year-old player.
Sources stated that Trump made three calls to FIFA starting on Wednesday after Balogun received a red card during the USA's 2-0 last-16 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina.
UEFA's Statement and Concerns
UEFA expressed its deep dissatisfaction through an official statement regarding the probationary implementation of the automatic suspension.
"Yesterday’s decision to suspend for a probationary period of a year the implementation of the one-match automatic suspension following the red card issued to the player Folarin Balogun crossed a red line," read UEFA's statement.
"Football, like any other sports, relies on rules, which are the basis for fair, honest and transparent competition.
Sometimes rules are open to interpretation. In this case not."
The European governing body emphasized that the one-match automatic suspension following a red card is a non-discretionary rule embedded in regulations.
UEFA asserted that such rules cannot be subject to exceptions, particularly in the middle of a tournament where other players regularly serve their suspensions.
"When the certainty of rules is no longer guaranteed by its guardians, the integrity of the game is at stake and the credibility of a competition is undermined.
Equally, such decision creates a precedent in the ongoing tournament, where similar situations will now require an equal treatment, to the detriment of the competition.
We express our disbelief at such an unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable decision."
The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) also expressed its astonishment on Sunday, with manager Rudi Garcia comparing the decision to an April Fools' Day joke.
The RBFA has not received the detailed reasons for overturning the ban, which FIFA briefly explained by referencing Article 27 of its disciplinary code.
Article 27 grants the judicial committee authority to fully or partially suspend the implementation of a disciplinary measure, forcing Belgium to submit their appeal blindly.
According to regulations, a member of FIFA's appeals committee who does not represent UEFA or Concacaf will hear the appeal to avoid potential conflicts of interest.
FIFA's disciplinary processes face heavy scrutiny due to the unprecedented reprieve and the direct involvement of the US President.
The RBFA is currently exploring legal action against FIFA for allegedly breaking its own statutes.
Belgium's Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot, a former referee, heavily criticized the intervention of politicians in sporting rules.
"If a phone call is really the reason for this incomprehensible decision, it would be a blatant violation of the most basic rules of football and sport," Prévot said.
European Commissioner for intergenerational fairness, youth, culture, and sport Glen Micallef also voiced opposition, stating that sporting decisions belong to sporting bodies.
In London, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer's official spokesman stated that World Cup decisions are a matter for the football governing body.
"Those decisions are a matter for the football World Cup governing body and should stay that way, and we are clear in that position … the prime minister supports the integrity of competition in all sports," the spokesman said.
When questioned if the phone call from Trump questioned FIFA's integrity, the spokesperson added that the matter remains for FIFA to respond to.
Meanwhile, USA manager Mauricio Pochettino praised the decision, reiterating that the red card shown by Brazilian referee Raphael Claus was harsh.
Balogun was dismissed after making contact with Bosnian defender Tarik Muharemovic during the previous match.
