World Cup history repeats itself: this is the last successor of

World Cup history repeats itself: this is the last successor of

There is a big talk now about the re-review of Folarin Balogun's suspension. According to the report, the American striker received a red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina and threatened to miss the 16th match (round of 16) against Belgium—until a political intervention took place: former President Donald Trump allegedly called FIFA president Gianni Infantino and asked to drop the case against the player. This situation reminded of the bad incident that happened last time during the World Cup 1962 in Chile. There, Garrincha was the center of controversy. In the semifinal against host nation Chile, Garrincha contributed significantly to Brazil's promotion—he scored the first goal in the 9th minute and assisted the second goal in the 32nd minute in Santiago. But at the end of the match, there was trouble and Garrincha was involved in a fight with an opponent from Chile. Peruvian referee Arturo Yamasaki Maldonado chose to remove Garrincha from the game. That day, the possibility that Garrincha will not be able to play in the upcoming final seems to be blocked.

What followed was even more intriguing: according to the record, the first physical red cards only existed in 1970, and they were first distributed in 1974. However, the threat of not attending the final was discussed and ended up in actual political intervention. Tancredo Neves—then considered Brazil's premier—allegedly stepped in and used his influence to support the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) against FIFA and the Chilean authorities. The result: Garrincha's red penalty was not recorded in referee Yamasaki Maldonado's official report. As a result, Garrincha played in the final on 17 June 1962. Although he did not score in the final game, he helped Brazil defeat former Czechoslovakia, 3-1, and win their second consecutive World Cup title. The mention of this incident shows that although rare, there are times when extra-sporting influence or political pressure drives important decisions at the highest level of football. In Balogun's case, the re-review of the suspension and the alleged call from a former leader are awakening memories of a time when international influence affected the build-up to World Cup matches. It is not yet clear what FIFA's final decision will be in this case, but it is clear that the tournament's history has precedents where disciplinary decisions have been influenced by wider external forces. --- ## Related Articles 1. [Balogun saved by FIFA: en 1962 Garrincha jugó la final tras ser](https://golazopro.com/news/balogun-salvado-por-la-fifa-en-1962-garrincha-jugo-la-final-tras-ser-expulsado) 2. [Rudi García surprised with a decision on Balogun: 'Não sabia que](https://quinasgoal.com/noticias/rudi-garcia-surpreendido-com-a-decisao-sobre-balogun-nao-sabia-que-era-1-de-abri)

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