By Yusuf Bangura
There’s a saying in politics that the only way to defeat a corrupt ruling party is to do so decisively and comprehensively. That way, cheating becomes ineffective, the rogues are humiliated, and a better order is restored.
That’s exactly how the PASTEF party defeated Macky Sall’s Alliance for the Republic in Senegal back in 2024. This morning, Belgium did the same thing on the pitch, thrashing the USA 4-1 in their World Cup match in Seattle.
Ultimately, the sickeningly blatant collusion between FIFA President Infantino and Trump to unethically and illegally alter World Cup rules—by lifting Folarin Balogun’s red card ban just to give the US a fighting chance—came to absolutely naught.
In football, when you take a drubbing of four or more goals, it means you and your opponent operate in completely different universes. The loser, quite simply, doesn’t belong in the same competition as the winner.
I was honestly beginning to lose interest in the tournament, but Belgium’s comprehensive victory has entirely rekindled it.
Bravo to Belgium for delivering this masterclass. I hope FIFA’s regional confederations refuse to relent in their efforts to hold Infantino and his executive board accountable, and finally restore the integrity of the game.
Football is too important to be left in the hands of Infantino.
