La Liga president Javier Tebas has had his say on the Folarin Balogun saga that has been the talk of the football world over the last few days at World Cup 2026.
Balogun was red-carded against Bosnia and Herzegovina, a decision in itself that caused controversy at the time, and was subsequently handed a one-game ban.
The striker was set to miss the UMSNT’s last 16 tie against Belgium but the decision was overturned by FIFA (after a phone call from Donald Trump) which caused outrage across the world
– particularly in the Belgium camp.
Tebas has had his say on the matter in a lengthy post on social media and has been critical of FIFA for lifting the ban on Balogun.
“The waiver of the sanction on U.S. player Balogun is neither an anecdote nor an isolated error. It is, quite simply, the tip of the iceberg of a governance model that has been eroding the credibility of FIFA and football in general for many years,” he posted.
“When rules can be interpreted or modified as convenient; when the most consequential decisions are made without genuine dialogue and agreement with national/domestic leagues, which are the ones sustaining professional football 365 days a year (the vast majority of professional clubs and players do not participate in international competitions); when a unilateral agenda is imposed without listening to football’s main stakeholders, the problem stops being a specific resolution and becomes the system itself.
“FIFA Congresses are: grand stagings of unanimity, no real debate, and decisions that arrive sealed before voting even begins. There are no agreements with national/domestic leagues; decisions are approved that constantly harm them.
“The case of player Balogun does nothing but reinforce that perception; it is the tip of the iceberg. Moreover, if rules are applied with constant arbitrariness, trust disappears. And without trust, there is no institutional credibility.
“And the worst of all is that much of the football world is aware of it, but too many prefer to maintain a complicit silence. Because staying quiet is more comfortable than defending independence, transparency, and good governance.
“World football deserves institutions that are accountable, respect the rules, and govern with transparency—not through unilateral, discretionary, arbitrary decisions… that erode the trust of fans, clubs, leagues, and players.”
Balogun did go on to play in the game against Belgium but the Red Devils had the last laugh, winning 4-1 and progressing to a quarter-final tie against Spain.
