THERE was a wave of relief throughout the football world on Tuesday when Belgium defeated the USA 4-1 in their last-16 knock-out game in the World Cup. US president Donald Trump’s outrageous attempt to subvert the outcome of the match had, thankfully, backfired.
Trump had requested that his friend, Gianni Infantino – president of international football’s governing body Fifa – breach World Cup rules and order a “review” of the red card for American striker Folarin Balogun. Football supporters across the globe reacted with disbelief and fury when Fifa granted Balogun a 12-month stay-of-execution on his red card, enabling him to play in the crucial tie against the Belgians.
