Webb warns Balogun red card controversy will fuel Premier League conspiracy theories

Premier League referees chief Howard Webb has warned that the Folarin Balogun red card controversy at the World Cup will have a damaging “snowball” effect on English football, by giving those who allege corruption against officials a real-world example to point to.

Balogun was sent off following a VAR review in the United States’ last-32 match against Bosnia and Herzegovina, only for Fifa to delay the suspension after Donald Trump publicly admitted he had contacted the governing body’s leadership. Fifa president Gianni Infantino insisted the review process was independent, but it later emerged that the panel convened to assess the case contained only one official.

Webb, who oversaw 296 Premier League matches as a referee before taking his current role, said he was “really troubled” by the episode. “We live in a world now which is different to the one that I occupied as a ref, in that decisions that are taken previously were viewed as correct or incorrect based on your judgement,” he said. “Far too often now, decisions are viewed as correct or corrupt by people who want to type all over social media.”

He warned the fallout would not stay contained to international football. “When you get that type of situation, it opens up space for people to think, ‘ah ha, you see, this sort of thing’s happening all the time behind the scenes’. You’re going to get more of that as a consequence. It doesn’t help, does it?”

Premier League chief executive Richard Masters echoed those concerns, calling the Balogun affair “a self-inflicted moment” that “stands alone” from the tournament itself. “It’s a huge shame,” Masters said, “when such controversies overshadow the football.”

On the pitch, the Premier League will diverge from several of Fifa’s officiating approaches used at the World Cup this summer. VAR will not be used to overturn corner-kick decisions, as a matter of principle to limit interventions. There will also be no red cards issued for players covering their mouths, and yellow cards will not be reversed in cases of mistaken identity involving diving calls — all departures from the standards applied in the tournament.

The league is, however, continuing its push to reduce “grappling” at set-pieces, an area of focus that aligns with the broader direction of the game internationally.