Internet Howls as Suspended Ex-FIFA Boss Sepp Blatter Lectures Soccer Federation on ‘Ethics’ 2026

Balgarianovinite.com

(Christophe Ena/AP photo)

Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter was roasted on social media Monday after he took to X to ridicule FIFA for clearing USMNT striker Folarin Balogun’s one-match red card ban and accusing the organization of allowing politics to influence the World Cup.

Blatter’s broadside comes as FIFA president Gianni Infantino faces some backlash after the soccer World Cup’s ruling body announced Sunday that Balogun’s suspension would be deferred under a one-year probationary period rather than immediately enforced, allowing the key U.S. player to remain available for Monday night’s clash against Belgium.

The reported move came after Trump asked Infantino to revisit the decision, according to a source briefed on the call.

Balogun was sent off after a VAR review in the United States’ 2-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina when officials ruled he had planted his foot into defender Tarik Muharemovic’s ankle. U.S. manager Mauricio Pochettino argued the challenge never warranted a red card.

On Monday, Blatter seized on those reports in a pointed post on X.

“Red cards are not overturned by political phone calls,” Blatter wrote. “They are overturned by rules, evidence and independent bodies.

He continued: “If a U.S. President intervenes with the FIFA President — and a player is suddenly cleared before a World Cup knockout match — the question is unavoidable: Quo vadis, FIFA? Football must never become a playground for political power.”

The former president, who led the organization until 2015 was himself ousted amid corruption allegations and remains barred from participating in FIFA activities until 2027 following a lengthy suspension.

The comments were immediately seized upon by soccer fans and pundits, eager to call out the apparent hypocrisy:

British journalist Piers Morgan, who openly criticized FIFA’s Balogun decision, mused that it’s clear something is bad when even Blatter could call the “ethics” into question:

Others agreed with Morgan’s take:

Ex-Liverpool Football Club defender Jamie Carragher jokingly requested Blatter come back to “clean up FIFA”:

Belgium is awaiting FIFA’s ruling on its appeal before facing the USMNT in Seattle on Monday night, with the winner set to advance to a quarterfinal meeting against either Portugal or Spain.

The post Internet Howls as Suspended Ex-FIFA Boss Sepp Blatter Lectures Soccer Federation on ‘Ethics’ first appeared on Mediaite.

Internet Howls as Suspended Ex-FIFA Boss Sepp Blatter Lectures Soccer Federation on ‘Ethics’ 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-07-06 14:56:38 Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law