Howard Webb Criticises FIFA Over Balogun World Cup Ban Decision

Howard Webb has criticised FIFA's handling of the suspension given to United States striker Folarin Balogun after his red card at the 2026 World Cup. The Guardian reported that Webb, English football's chief refereeing officer, was deeply concerned by the disciplinary committee's decision to suspend the ban, which meant Balogun did not miss a match.

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The case followed Balogun's dismissal against Bosnia and Herzegovina. According to the Guardian, the reprieve came after a direct appeal to FIFA from US president Donald Trump. Webb said the established facts included the red card, acknowledged political pressure on FIFA and the removal of the tournament suspension through a process that did not appear to exist before the competition began.

Webb linked the episode to a wider challenge facing match officials. He argued that disputed calls are increasingly interpreted by some supporters as evidence of corruption rather than mistakes in judgment. His concern was that an exceptional disciplinary outcome could reinforce suspicion toward referees even when claims about their motives are unsupported by evidence.

Premier League chief executive Richard Masters also questioned the handling of the case. The Guardian reported that Masters described the situation as difficult to comprehend and regretted that it had diverted attention from the football played at the World Cup, including Spain's triumph and England's semi-final defeat.

Webb made the comments as English football's refereeing organisation unveiled changes before the new Premier League season. The body, now branded Pro Ref, will publish weekly findings from its independent key match incident panel for the first time. It also plans to release audio of exchanges between referees and players and will continue providing real-time match information on X.

Pro Ref has enlarged its group of specialist video assistant referees at Stockley Park as it aims to shorten reviews, which averaged 41 seconds last season, and reduce incorrect interventions. The semi-automated offside process has also been streamlined. Webb said officials would prefer a missed intervention to VAR wrongly overturning a decision that was not an error, while teams should expect more holding offences at set pieces to be penalised consistently across the season.