FIFA’s decision to suspend Folarin Balogun’s red card and clear him for Monday’s Round of 16 clash against Belgium has been slammed by many. UEFA in fact publicly criticized this decision. But for many, UEFA’s outrage rings hollow, with accusations that the governing body is picking and choosing when to speak out.

The entire story stems from what happened last November. This was when Cristiano Ronaldo received similar treatment from FIFA. But then the UEFA chose silence. For some, that contrast is impossible to ignore. OutKick’s Ian Miller was among those to call them out.

“Weird that UEFA is making outraged statements about Balogun’s red card suspension being postponed,” Miller tweeted. “Yet was perfectly content with Cristiano Ronaldo playing in the group stages for European team Portugal after FIFA…postponed his red card suspension.”

Following the Balogun decision, UEFA put out a statement calling out FIFA. “Yesterday’s decision to suspend for a probationary period of a year the implementation of the one-match automatic suspension following the red card issued to the player Folarin Balogun crossed a red line.”

They pointed out that a red card automatically triggers at least a one-match ban. No committee or governing body needs to approve that punishment. It takes effect immediately under the rules. They said that the rule exists to be applied equally. However, its silence when FIFA suspended Cristiano Ronaldo‘s red card doesn’t truly match what it is currently preaching.

The governing body decided to lift the final two matches of his suspension, making him eligible to return to the pitch earlier than originally scheduled. Under FIFA rules, Ronaldo faced a 3-match suspension after elbowing Ireland’s Dara O’Shea during Portugal’s 2-0 qualifying loss in November 2025.

However, the disciplinary committee reduced the punishment after considering his clean record across 225 previous international appearances. As a result, he served only one match against Armenia. Their instruction was simple: the 41-year-old’s suspension would come into action if he “commits another infringement of a similar nature and gravity during the probationary period.”

The relief allowed him to play against the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uzbekistan. Now, what’s more interesting is that FIFA has invoked Article 27 several times before the whole Folarin Balogun incident.

FIFA’s rules allow room to reduce or even erase disciplinary punishments. Article 27 permits a full or partial suspension for a probation period of 1 to 4 years. Meanwhile, Article 25 also gives FIFA’s judicial body the authority to lower a sanction or remove it entirely when deemed appropriate. Moreover, history has witnessed players with red card suspensions playing in the World Cup.

France defender Laurent Koscielny and Croatia’s Mario Mandzukic in 2014, Netherlands midfielder Phillip Cocu in 2006, Japan’s Makoto Hasebe in 2010, and Mané Garrincha in 1962 all received similar treatment. They are all proof of FIFA bending the rules when they feel the need to. This time, though, many didn’t approve it.