FIFA’s controversial decision to allow USMNT striker Folarin Balogun to play against Belgium didn’t end with the US’s elimination. If anything, the debate spilled onto live television when Fox Sports analysts Thierry Henry and Alexi Lalas found themselves on opposing sides of whether the governing body got the decision right.

After the Round of 16 concluded, Henry made his views on Balogun clear. He said:

“I do agree with the fact that it wasn’t a red. Because if I was a player and someone gave me a red like that, I wouldn’t have accepted that. But I don’t agree with how they rescinded the red. What FIFA did wasn’t right. But it was the right thing in terms of not giving a red. That should have been a decision that was done on the field, not after three days, four days.”

However, Lalas immediately challenged Henry’s position by bringing Cristiano Ronaldo into the discussion. The former USMNT player used the Portuguese captain’s disciplinary case from earlier in the tournament.

“So, the right decision came the wrong way also when it came to Cristiano Ronaldo,” Lalas responded, which caused Henry to try to separate the two situations.

Here’s the background. Folarin Balogun was suspended for one game after being called for a red card during the United States’ Round of 32 game against Bosnia-Herzegovina. However, a few days later, FIFA cleared the striker to play during the Round of 16 game against Belgium via Article 27.

Article 27 states that the “judicial body may decide to fully or partially suspend the implementation of a disciplinary measure.”

Meanwhile, Ronaldo’s situation occurred during the qualifiers. In a game against Ireland, the star elbowed defender Dara O’Shea in the back and earned a red card, with the initial ban being for three games (as per the FIFA Disciplinary Code). That would have ruled him out for the opening game of the World Cup. Instead, he served a one-game suspension before being deferred the other two games for a one-year probationary period.

Henry insisted that the distinction mattered less than the timing of the intervention. For him, Balogun shouldn’t have been dismissed, but correcting it several days after the incident created unnecessary controversy.

Although Belgium advanced to the quarterfinals, the debate about Balogun’s eligibility has become one of the biggest stories of the tournament. And based on the animated exchange between Lalas and Henry, FIFA’s handling of the situation has only divided opinions further.