Did FIFA cross a red line?

UEFA slams Balogun red card U-turn.

One Essential Read One Essential Read Recommended by Kate Turton, Newsletter Editor UEFA says FIFA 'crossed a red line' with Balogun red card U-turn at World Cup   Folarin Balogun of the US is shown a red card by referee Raphael Claus. San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, Santa Clara, California. July 1, 2026 REUTERS/Phil Noble/File Photo European soccer body UEFA lashed out at FIFA's decision to suspend a US striker's World Cup red-card ban after President Donald Trump personally intervened in the case. Belgium, who play the US for a place in the quarter-finals, was among the most vocal critics of the move. Now one of the tournament's biggest talking points will center not on tactics or team selection, but on the relationship between the sport's governing body and political power. Read the full article   Sponsors are not involved in the creation of newsletters or other Reuters news content. Advertise in this newsletter or on Reuters' website   Reuters One Essential Read is sent three days a week. Think your friend or colleague should know about us? Forward this newsletter to them. They can also sign up here. Want to stop receiving this email? Unsubscribe here. To manage which newsletters you're signed up for, click here. This email includes limited tracking for Reuters to understand whether you’ve engaged with its contents. For more information on how we process your personal information and your rights, please see our Privacy Statement. Terms & Conditions   © 2026 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved. 3 Times Square, New York, NY 10036