World Cup red-card decisions for Balogun, Quansah raise questions among ex-FIFA referees

FIFA's handling of two World Cup red-card cases came under renewed scrutiny on Thursday after England defender Jarell Quansah got a two-match suspension while U.S. striker Folarin Balogun avoided an immediate ban for a similar challenge.

That has left former international referees unable to reconcile the ‌two decisions.

Quansah was sent off in England's last round-of-16 victory over Mexico after a video review deemed his sliding studs-up challenge serious foul play. He was later handed a two-match ban that England's Football Association said it could not appeal.

Balogun, by contrast, was sent off during the United States' round-of-32 win over ​Bosnia but received a one-match suspension that world soccer's governing body ​FIFA later suspended.

Balogun's ban was suspended on probation for one year under Article 27 of the disciplinary code, FIFA said, although it has not publicly explained why it considered that sanction ​appropriate in his case.

The fact that U.S. President Donald Trump had personally urged FIFA President ⁠Gianni Infantino to review Balogun's ⁠case only intensified the controversy, even though FIFA insisted the ‌conversation played no part in its decision.

"FIFA have failed in their duty towards the game after they delayed the ban for Balogun. They allowed outside interference by the president," former referee Keith Hackett wrote on social media on Thursday.

"FIFA the major lawmaker are at fault. But both players committed Serious ⁠Foul Play challenges sanctioned by a red card."

Jonas Eriksson, who was a FIFA referee for 16 years from 2002, said if Balogun got a one-match suspension, Quansah should have as well, seeing their two on-field incidents were roughly equal in ‌terms of intensity and aggression.

"