Folarin Balogun's red card was wrong in the first place. Canceling it wasn't right either.

Growing up, we’re all taught that two wrongs don’t make a right. And that feels like the case in Folarin Balogun’s controversial red card and the even-more-controversial suspension of the penalty that would have kept him out of the USMNT and Belgium World Cup contest.

The first wrong was the call itself, with fans wondering why the budding USMNT star was given a red when all-time legend Lionel Messi wasn’t in a similar situation. Despite the cries of hypocrisy and beyond, there was an acceptance that fell over the situation — the call was questionable, but there was no way to appeal it. Perhaps FIFA would adjust how this process worked after the World Cup.

But then came news that Balogun would be available for the win-or-go-home game on Monday. What happened exactly? As so many of you guessed before the news came, United States president Donald Trump reportedly made a call to FIFA president Gianni Infantino to get the decision reversed.

A U.S. official, who discussed Trump’s call to Infantino on the condition of anonymity, said the president wanted to “better understand” why Balogun received a red card and a suspension.

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The Trump administration also provided additional evidence to support a potential appeal of Balogun’s red card, the official said, though an appeal was never formally submitted.

A U.S. official, who discussed Trump’s call to Infantino on the condition of anonymity, said the president wanted to “better understand” why Balogun received a red card and a suspension.

The Trump administration also provided additional evidence to support a potential appeal of Balogun’s red card, the official said, though an appeal was never formally submitted.

Where to begin? That an organization with a history of controversy like FIFA suddenly, out of the blue, reversed the decision thanks to a call from a president of one of the host countries? A president who was given the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize by the very same man who runs FIFA just months ago?

This is not how the process should work. Sure, FIFA reversed a call that was wrong in the first place, but if it’s because a politician got involved, that feels much, much worse.

From Reuters, here are some key points:

• Article 27 allows FIFA to suspend the implementation of a ​disciplinary sanction.

• The sanction itself remains in force but does not have ​to be served immediately unless the suspension is later ⁠revoked.

• The article allows FIFA’s judicial bodies to suspend the implementation of all ​or part of a disciplinary sanction.

• However, the code does not mention the ​circumstances in which a judicial body may decide to suspend a sanction.

Article 27 allows FIFA to suspend the implementation of a ​disciplinary sanction.

The sanction itself remains in force but does not have ​to be served immediately unless the suspension is later ⁠revoked.

The article allows FIFA’s judicial bodies to suspend the implementation of all ​or part of a disciplinary sanction.

However, the code does not mention the ​circumstances in which a judicial body may decide to suspend a sanction.

In other words: We’re lacking full transparency here. What we do know is the VAR review led to the red card and the FIFA disciplinary committee reviewed it. And any kind of impartiality flies out the window when we know that Trump made a call to get it reversed.

Belgium has every right to be furious, and the questions being asked about how this happened should continue to be asked even after Balogun takes the field on Monday.