Nigel Owens has expressed concern that the controversy surrounding Folarin Balogun's suspended red card, following intervention by US President Donald Trump, has undermined confidence in referees at the FIFA World Cup. The former rugby referee highlighted that the perception of outside interference has given ammunition to conspiracy theorists who already question officiating decisions.
Trump's intervention sets a dangerous precedent
Owens noted that Trump's public involvement in overturning Balogun's red card is unprecedented. "Whether the sending off was harsh or wrong is pretty much irrelevant. The perception is now that the president of the United States has rung the president of FIFA to ensure a red card is rescinded," Owens said. He argued that this has left football in a difficult position, as the optics suggest political influence over sporting decisions.
The incident has also reignited complaints from Egypt, who felt officiating was biased against them in their match against Argentina. Owens pointed out that such accusations are common in sports, but the Trump episode has amplified them.
Rugby not immune to inconsistency claims
While football's red card system lacks an appeal process for rescinding suspensions, Owens acknowledged that rugby has its own issues with perceived inconsistency in ban lengths. "Rugby can't necessarily take too much of a moral high ground," he said.
Owens recalled his own experience refereeing Argentina against England in the 2019 Rugby World Cup, where he issued a red card to Tomas Lavanini. After the match, an Argentine player accused him of treating them differently because they were "a small nation." Owens responded by noting that Buenos Aires has 15 million people, while Wales has only 3 million. "So who's the small nation here?" he asked, ending the conversation.
Perception of bias fuels conspiracy theories
Owens also addressed the long-standing perception that elite teams receive preferential treatment. He cited Richie McCaw as an example of a player who understood the limits of officiating, rather than being treated leniently. "He knew when to step back, when not to go chasing something and when the referee might step in. Other players would carry on regardless and get a yellow card," Owens explained.
However, he warned that when a political leader appears to interfere, it lends credibility to unfounded claims. "When people see the president of a country seemingly interfering, it gives oxygen to all sorts of conspiracy theories, and that's clearly a problem," he said.
