Balogun, Garrincha and Pinochet: FIFA controversial World Cup decisions 6 July

FIFA controversial

The article talks about the controversy surrounding FIFAs handling of the Balogun case during the World Cup. This has raised questions about the integrity of the tournament.Specifically it highlights how FIFA seemed to break its rules by letting Folarin Balogun play in the last 16 against Belgium. He had received a card in the Round of 32 against Bosnia and Herzegovina.FIFAs decision was reportedly influenced by a phone call from U.S. President Donald Trump to FIFAs president, Gianni Infantino. Trump urged a review of the suspension tied to the card.Infantinos actions have come under scrutiny.

This is particularly because he allegedly bypassed the decisions of FIFAs 37-member council. This suggests a breach of protocol.The incident is part of a narrative of FIFAs history of controversial decisions and manipulations. This indicates issues within the organization regarding fairness and governance in football.The Balogun affair and FIFAs handling of it have raised concerns.The World Cup and FIFA are under scrutiny.Folarin Balogun and his red card are, at the center of the controversy.FIFAs integrity is being questioned.The organizations governance and fairness are being examined.

Balogun, who plays for Monaco in France has scored three goals. Is Nigerias leading scorer at this World Cup.The decision made people in Belgiums football association and UEFA, Europes football body, unhappy. They said that stopping a suspension because of direct political help did not make the tournament fair and could cause problems in the future.This is not the first time FIFA has had big problems during a World Cup.FIFA has had issues, with politics and corruption at its biggest event, the World Cup before.

Table of Contents

1930: The whistle that came too soon

In the inaugural World Cup in 1930, an incident marred the opening matches shortly after they began. During a group game featuring Argentina and France, Argentina was leading 1-0 due to an 81st-minute free kick taken by Luis Monti. However, Brazilian referee Gilberto de Almeida Rego prematurely signaled the end of the match in the 84th minute, just as French player Marcel Langiller had an opportunity to equalize with only the goalkeeper to beat.

Upon realizing his mistake, Rego conferred with his linesman and decided to call the players back to finish the remaining minutes. Despite this interruption, France failed to score, and Argentina’s victory by a score of 1-0 was upheld, occurring just two days into the tournament. This early controversy highlighted the challenges and pressures faced even in the most prestigious football competition.

1962: Garrincha, the red card and two presidents

In 1962, Brazilian winger Garrincha emerged as a pivotal figure in the national team’s World Cup campaign, stepping up in the absence of injured star Pele. He played a crucial role in Brazil’s 4-2 semifinal victory over hosts Chile, scoring two goals. However, his performance was marred by controversy; he received a red card for retaliating against an opponent who had been fouling him throughout the match. At that time, red cards did not automatically result in suspensions, as FIFA’s disciplinary actions were assessed individually.

Amid this situation, Chilean President Jorge Alessandri supported a petition for Garrincha to be allowed to play in the final, while Peruvian President Manuel Prado allegedly contacted the referee to advocate for a lenient decision. As a result, the disciplinary committee ultimately decided to issue only a warning to Garrincha, allowing him to participate in the final match. Brazil went on to defeat Czechoslovakia 3-1, successfully retaining the World Cup trophy.

This incident marked a unique occurrence in football history, as it was the first and only instance where a player who received a red card still played in his team’s next World Cup match, highlighting the interplay between politics and sports during the tournament.

Defending World Cup champions Brazil before their quarterfinal against England in Chile, June 10, 1962.

1973: FIFA, Pinochet and the match with no opponent

In November 1973, following General Augusto Pinochet’s coup that overthrew Chile’s socialist government, Chile was set to host the Soviet Union for a World Cup qualifying playoff at Estadio Nacional in Santiago. This stadium was notorious for serving as a detention center for political prisoners during Pinochet’s regime, where many were held, tortured, and killed. The Soviet Union, concerned about the conditions surrounding the match, informed FIFA that they could not play in such a blood-stained venue and requested a different location.

Despite these concerns, FIFA sent inspectors who deemed the stadium fit for football; however, reports indicated that political prisoners were hidden within the complex during the inspection. Consequently, the Soviet Union refused to participate in the match. On November 21, 1973, Chile played against no opponent, symbolically rolling the ball into an empty net, leading to a 1-0 score before the match was abandoned. FIFA subsequently registered the match as a 2-0 victory for Chile, allowing the team to qualify for the 1974 World Cup, although they were eliminated in the group stage of the tournament.

1978: A dressing room visit and accusations of collusion

In 1978, Argentina hosted the World Cup during a period of military dictatorship under General Jorge Videla, whose regime was notorious for committing human rights violations, including torture and executions, some occurring near the Estadio Monumental, the largest stadium in Latin America. The government aimed for a home victory to legitimize its rule, which was facilitated by FIFA’s scheduling format that allowed for varied start times in the final group stage matches. Argentina faced Peru in a critical match needing to win by four goals to advance to the final, following Brazil’s earlier win.

Prior to the match, General Videla visited the Peruvian dressing room, raising questions that have persisted over the years regarding the integrity of the game. Argentina emerged victorious with a 6-0 scoreline, leading to numerous allegations of collusion, including purported grain shipments to Peru, the unfreezing of Peruvian assets, and claims from a former senator that a deal involved the imprisonment of thirteen Peruvian dissidents. However, no conclusive evidence has ever surfaced, and players from both teams have consistently denied any collusion. Ultimately, Argentina secured their first World Cup title by defeating the Netherlands in the final.

1982: The disgrace of Gijon

On June 25, 1982, a controversial match took place in Gijon, Spain, between West Germany and Austria. Both teams were aware that the only way to advance to the knockout stage was for West Germany to win by fewer than three goals, following Algeria’s earlier match. Horst Hrubesch scored early for West Germany, and thereafter the match devolved into a lackluster display where both teams played conservatively to maintain the score.

This led to widespread dissatisfaction among fans, who expressed their outrage with chants of “fuera, fuera” (out, out), while Algerian supporters insulted the teams by waving banknotes. A German commentator refused to continue broadcasting in protest, and an Austrian commentator advised viewers to turn off their TVs. Local newspaper El Comercio even featured the match report in its crime section.

Algeria filed a formal complaint following the match, claiming unfair conduct. However, FIFA concluded that no rules had been violated and subsequently took no action. The organization did acknowledge the issue indirectly, leading to a restructuring of the tournament format. Starting in 1986, FIFA instituted simultaneous kick-offs for final group games to prevent a recurrence of such a situation, which had also been a problem in earlier tournaments. This instance highlighted the failures in FIFA’s regulations and the ethical dilemmas surrounding competitive integrity.

2006: One card too many

In the pivotal Group F match between Croatia and Australia during the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Stuttgart, a significant officiating error occurred involving English referee Graham Poll. Poll issued a yellow card to Croatia’s Josip Simunic for a foul on Australia’s Harry Kewell in the 61st minute; however, he mistakenly credited the card to Australian player Craig Moore. This mix-up was attributed to Simunic’s Australian upbringing and accent, which may have contributed to Poll’s confusion.

Later in the match, Simunic committed another foul, warranting a second yellow card, but Poll presented only a further yellow without issuing a red card at that time. The situation escalated after the final whistle when Simunic confronted Poll, leading the referee to incorrectly issue a third yellow card, which finally resulted in a red card. The match concluded in a 2-2 draw, allowing Australia to advance in the tournament. FIFA acknowledged the officiating mistake, leading to Poll’s dismissal from the tournament before the knockout stages, and it marked the end of his international refereeing career.

Poll shows Simunic his first yellow card at the 2006 World Cup [Action Images/Michael Regan Livepic