Saw something that Belgium has made a last minute appeal of the FIFA ruling to have the red card and suspension upheld. We will see what they do with it.
I saw where the appeal was not granted. UEFA has made a scathing statement against FIFA. Changing the red card from suspension to probation is an unprecedented move by FIFA.
So, it wasn't so much an "appeal", meaning a chance that it might be overturned (or "un-overturned", rather)...it was basically just a formal complaint.
It also wasn't "unprecedented"...it wasn't even the first time FIFA did it
this World Cup. Ronaldo got a Red Card in a qualifier game that included a 3-game suspension. Games 2 and 3 of that suspension were Portugal's first 2 games of this tournament. FIFA overturned it and allowed Ronaldo to play. I believe there was at least 1 other similar situation this tournament too, in addition to Balogun and Ronaldo.
Additionally, FIFA explained the entire reason they overturned it to begin with is that it was procedural misuse of VAR to begin with.
1. VAR can review a penalty called during the game and can
escalate the penalty, but the rules state that if no penalty is called to begin with, VAR can't go back and issue one (which is why Messi got away with an even more egregious no-call earlier in the tournament, because it wasn't called on the field)
2. VAR guidelines state that the review should be made watching real-time replay, not slow-mo....but in Balogun's case, they used the slow-mo replay which made it look way worse and intentional, when it clearly wasn't intentional when watching real-time.
In other words, the Belgian's need to go eat a waffle and STHU
