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The biggest upset of the World Cup is FIFA

By the knockout stage of this World Cup, the biggest headlines are not the stunning goals, not the star performances, and not even the dark horses — they are FIFA off the field and the referees on it. First came the century-level joke of US player Balogun receiving a red card with a "one-year suspended execution," then the Argentina vs. Egypt Round of 16 match featured four controversial calls that turned the game into a thriller. A proper World Cup, and by the end fans are all asking: are the players playing football, or is FIFA itself stepping onto the field to put on a show?

Balogun maliciously stamped on an opponent and got a red card. By the rules, that means an automatic one-match suspension — perfectly straightforward. Then Trump made a phone call to Infantino, and FIFA dusted off a "suspended execution" clause that hadn't been used in World Cup for decades — keeping the red card on the record but allowing him to play in the crucial match — setting a precedent in the 56 years since red and yellow cards were introduced in the World Cup. More ironically, even after bending the rules that much, the US still lost 1-4 in a clean sweep. FIFA went to great lengths to cross a line, only to end up acting in vain.

While the US joke was still fresh, the Argentina vs. Egypt game stunned the audience even more. Egypt's smooth counter-attack goal was disallowed for a nearly invisible minor contact at the center circle; Egyptian players were taken down twice in the Argentina box, one of which was a crucial equalizer chance in stoppage time, and the referee didn't even bother with VAR; an Argentine player slapped an opponent on the field and didn't even get a yellow card, escaping an obvious red; and finally, Argentina's decisive goal came from a counter-attack immediately after Egypt's penalty was overlooked. After the match, Egyptian players said "the champion was already predetermined," and fans brought up old grudges about Messi stepping on someone without a card — so it turns out whether the whistle favors you or not depends entirely on who is playing.

These absurd incidents are not about referees having momentary lapses; behind them are clearly calculated profit motives. Why can a single phone call from Trump change the rules? FIFA is set to earn over US$10 billion from this World Cup, with the largest share of revenue coming from the US market — from visas and security to sponsorships and tickets, everything depends on the US government's green light. Infantino needs to use real money to please over two hundred member associations and secure re-election, so of course he must show full respect to the host nation. Why did the referees give Argentina a pass? Messi's last dance is the biggest traffic driver for this World Cup; the farther Argentina goes, the higher the ratings, and the more expensive the commercials. In short, in FIFA's eyes, rules are not the bottom line — business is.

We watch the World Cup not to see a show of power, not to see capital scheming, but to see that purity of everyone being equal under the rules for 90 minutes. Small-nation teams can topple giants, unknowns can become heroes, no matter who you are, a foul means a card, win or lose with dignity — that is what makes football most compelling. The protagonists of the World Cup have always been the players on the field, not the officials changing rules in their offices, nor the politicians making phone calls on the sidelines. Blow the whistle fairly, uphold the rules, give the game back to the players — nothing is more important than that.