Former Democratic Republic of Congo international Yannick Bolasie has criticised FIFA's decision to overturn Folarin Balogun's automatic suspension, arguing that a similar ruling at the Africa Cup of Nations would have sparked widespread backlash, Nigeriasoccernet.com reports.
The controversy followed FIFA's decision to allow the United States striker to remain eligible for the Round of 16 clash against Belgium despite receiving a red card earlier in the tournament.
Rather than enforcing the standard one-match suspension, FIFA's Disciplinary Committee opted to place Balogun on a one-year probationary period under Article 27 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, effectively postponing the sanction and permitting him to feature in the knockout fixture.
Reacting to the decision on X, Bolasie questioned what he believes is an inconsistency in the way football competitions are treated across different regions.
"All I'll say is if this was AFCON and they let a man play after he got a red card, the nonsense being said would be crazy," the former DR Congo winger wrote.
The decision has also generated criticism in Belgium, with the Royal Belgian Football Federation expressing surprise at FIFA's interpretation of its disciplinary regulations.
In a statement released on Sunday, the Belgian federation noted that suspensions following red cards are generally automatic during major tournaments and confirmed it was examining the ruling while considering all available options for a formal response.
Although such decisions are uncommon, this is not the first instance during the current World Cup cycle. Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo also benefited from a similar arrangement after FIFA deferred a three-match suspension arising from an incident during the qualification campaign, allowing him to participate in Portugal's opening World Cup fixtures.
FIFA's latest ruling has reignited debate over the consistency of its disciplinary procedures, with critics arguing that exceptions of this nature could create the perception of unequal treatment and undermine confidence in the governing body's application of its regulations across international competitions.