*This content was translated by AI.
The mastermind behind the major controversy over the suspension of a red-card penalty during the World Cup has been exposed. According to a prominent newspaper, it was an arbitrary decision made by just one member of FIFA's Disciplinary Committee.
On the 14th (Korean time), the U.S. sports specialty outlet "Sports Illustrated," citing a report from Britain's "The Times," revealed that the unprecedented decision to suspend Paul Pogba's red-card penalty was effectively determined solely by Mohammad Al-Kamali, the committee chairman of Arab Emirates (UAE) origin.
According to the report, the remaining 17 members of the 18th-person disciplinary committee did not participate at all in the decision-making process for this case, and even their deliberative opinions were never sought. Typically, in cases involving serious disciplinary issues that spark controversy during international tournaments, a minimum of three or more committee members convene to reach a consensus; however, in this incident, only the chairman was involved. For now, FIFA has not issued any specific statement regarding this report.
Earlier, Pogba received a red card after stepping on Achilles tendon of Bosnian defender Tarik Muharemovic during the 32nd round match between Bosnia and Herzegovina at the 2026 FIFA North, Central America and Caribbean World Cup, following video assistant referee (VAR) review. Under FIFA's tournament regulations, the one-match suspension penalty for a red card was not subject to appeal or protest. This led to widespread concern that the U.S. team would be without its key player ahead of the Round of 16 match against Belgium.
However, just one day before the kickoff of the Belgium match, FIFA suddenly announced that Pogba's penalty would be suspended for one year based on Article 27 of its disciplinary regulations: "The judicial body may suspend all or part of the enforcement of disciplinary measures." This marked the first time in World Cup history since the automatic suspension system for red cards was introduced at the 1970 Mexico World Cup that a red-card penalty during the tournament was overturned or suspended, allowing the player to participate.
Immediately after this decision, the Belgian Football Association and UEFA strongly protested, stating it was "shocking." However, FIFA's Appeal Committee rejected the request, arguing that Belgium was not a party to the disciplinary proceedings. Ultimately, Pogba started in the Round of 16 match against Belgium, but the U.S. team suffered a heavy 1-4 defeat and failed to avoid elimination from the tournament.
The controversy spread both on and off the field after it became known that U.S. President Donald Trump had personally called FIFA President Gianni Infantino to request a review of Pogba's penalty, leading to suspicions of external pressure. Even worse, President Trump posted on his personal social networking service (SNS), saying, "Thank you to FIFA for making the right decision and correcting this great injustice," effectively admitting his involvement.
At that time, In Pan-ti-no (Chairman) denied the allegations of external pressure, stating, "During my conversation with President Trump, I explained that an independent procedure by FIFA's judicial body was underway and would be decided by a legitimate authority. This is how the FIFA system operates, and it is the principle I will uphold."
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*This content was translated by AI.
