GENEVA: An all-time controversy in the World Cup's 96-year history was raging Monday ahead of the co-host United States facing Belgium with a quarterfinals place at stake.
European soccer body UEFA criticized FIFA for an "incomprehensible and unjustifiable decision" to let U.S forward Folarin Balogun play despite getting a red card in his previous game - a shocking move made Sunday after pressure on the world soccer body's leader Gianni Infantino from his close ally, U.S. President Donald Trump.
UEFA said in a statement FIFA "crossed a red line" with its decision not to enforce Balogun's mandatory one-game ban for his foul tackle against Bosnia-Herzegovina last Wednesday.
FIFA's ruling Sunday - to defer Balogun's ban for one year of probation - deviated from soccer's traditional rule of law and drew stinging criticism globally including from former World Cup stars and coaches at this tournament.
"It's a bad, bad, bad, bad, bad decision that will hurt the World Cup," Norway coach Ståle Solbakken said Sunday after his team beat Brazil to reach the quarterfinals.
UEFA, whose member federations include Belgium, insisted: "Sometimes rules are open to interpretation. In this case not."
"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," said the European soccer body, which has often clashed with Infantino during his decade in FIFA power.
"We express our disbelief at such an unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable decision," said UEFA, where Infantino was its CEO-like general secretary from 2009 until being elected to lead FIFA in February 2016.
FIFA was asked Monday to comment on the UEFA criticism.
Infantino's predecessor Sepp Blatter, who was forced from office in 2015 in fallout from corruption scandals, posted Monday on social media: "Red cards are not overturned by political phone calls. They are overturned by rules, evidence and independent bodies." The Belgian soccer federation was preparing an appeal in Seattle in the early hours of Monday to challenge the Balogun ruling before a FIFA-appointed appeals judge. The round of 16 game against the U.S. is due to kick off at 5 p.m. local time.
Balogun was sent off directly for planting his cleated foot on the ankle of Bosnian defender Tarik Muharemovic during a 2-0 win for the U.S. in the round of 32. agencies