Trump-Balogun controversy unlikely to threaten Infantino's Fifa reign

Gianni Infantino has been Fifa president for 10 years. Next year, he is up for re-election. From the Fifa Peace Prize, to the vastly inflated ticket prices at the World Cup, to the Club World Cup, Infantino's tenure has been increasingly controversial. But could the unprecedented decision to cancel Folarin Balogun's red-card suspension for the United States' World Cup last-16 tie against Belgium be the tipping point?

Balogun's suspension overturned

In a tournament they have co-hosted, Balogun has been the star man for the US, with three goals so far. Now, despite being sent off, he is available for their next game - even though World Cup rules don't allow appeals against red cards. On Monday, more than 24 hours after its initial decision, Fifa released an 871-word statement that shed little light on why it made the call. But someone else has.

"I'm the one that got them to do it," said US President Donald Trump when asked if he had put in calls to Infantino. Trump said "all" he did was ask for a review. He said he did not tell Infantino to suspend Balogun's ban. But that such an intervention happened at all is a major concern across football.

In the US, the narrative has been about unfairness. That Balogun should not miss another game. That being sent off against Bosnia-Herzegovina and missing the rest of that game had been punishment enough. Those sentiments were echoed by Trump.

Political interference allegations

Infantino rejected any suggestion there was political interference, insisting the disciplinary committee was independent. But perception is just as important. The decision has not benefited just any team. It has gone to the co-hosts. Led by Trump - a man who has stood side by side with Infantino and calls the Fifa president his friend. The suspension of the ban felt like a presidential pardon.

"This is our sport, not theirs," said former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp. "If Donald Trump and Gianni Infantino really sorted this out between themselves, it is madness; it calls everything into question."

Fifa's rules on political neutrality

Fifa's statutes are clear about political interference. It is not permitted. Countries are regularly suspended from international football because of government involvement in national football associations. Pakistan, for instance, have been suspended three times in the space of eight years. When it comes to Infantino and Trump, are the rules different?

The World Cup draw, during which Trump was bestowed with the inaugural Fifa Peace Prize, felt like the culmination of two years of Infantino fostering a close relationship with the US president. "You can always count, Mr President, on my support, on the support of the entire football community to help you make peace and make the world prosper all over the world," Infantino told Trump when presenting the award.

Human rights campaign group FairSquare complained to Fifa's ethics committee in December that Infantino broke the governing body's rules on political neutrality in creating the prize. With no response, last month 50 MEPs wrote a new letter to the ethics committee demanding action. Like many situations with Fifa, there has been no response.

Infantino's position seemingly secure

Fast-forward to the tournament, and Trump has not been to a single World Cup match. But here he was, taking ownership of Balogun's situation. It was another example of football not doing the talking. We had seen it with Somali referee Omar Artan. Artan was denied access to the US by immigration officials, with Infantino accused of losing control of his own World Cup. Yet when he faced questions from the media last month - for the first time in over three years - his response was, at best, glib. "Just, you know, chill, relax," Infantino said of Artan's plight.

Controversy has always felt just around the corner. That something was bubbling under the surface. Despite the backlash, Infantino's re-election prospects appear strong, given his control over Fifa's member associations and the lack of a credible challenger.