A place in the World Cup quarterfinals is on the line when the US faces Belgium on Monday night. But even if the US wins, the biggest American story of this tournament has probably already happened.

FIFA on Sunday lifted the controversial suspension of US striker Folarin Balogun, who received a red card in the team’s match against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday, which under the rules should have disqualified him for the one against Belgium. Since then, President Donald Trump confirmed that he had called FIFA President Gianni Infantino to ask for a review of the suspension. Infantino says the decision to overturn the suspension was made under its disciplinary code. Maybe so. But Trump’s call has shifted the discussion from tactics and lineups to politics.

That should worry FIFA more than any officiating controversy. The organization spent decades cultivating the US as its next great market. It wanted millions of people to remember a brilliant goal, an upset or an unforgettable player. If Americans remember the lobbying more vividly than the soccer, FIFA will have tainted the game it hoped to promote.

The US occupies a unique place in world soccer. In most places, FIFA’s reputation was settled long ago, through triumphs, scandals and corruption investigations. In the US, where the sport is still growing, FIFA........

© Bloomberg