On the 567th Sporticast episode, hosts Scott Soshnick and Eben Novy-Williams discuss some of the biggest sports business stories of the week, including the red card controversy that has taken over the World Cup.

U.S. striker Folarin Balogun received a red card in the team’s round of 32 match against Bosnia and Herzegovina, which would normally have meant a one-game suspension. That one-game ban, however, was overturned by a FIFA review board, which gave little explanation for the decision, allowing Balogun to play in Monday night’s game against Belgium. (This episode was recorded before that game, in which the U.S. lost 4-1).

The hosts discuss the scandal, which has gained traction in large part because U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters that he called FIFA president Gianni Infantino to lobby for the suspension to be overturned. Infantino has cultivated a close relationship with Trump for years, including a nearly unilateral decision to create the first FIFA Peace Prize and gift it to Donald Trump at the end of last year. At the start of this tournament in June, it seemed likely that there might be a controversy involving Trump, Infantino and FIFA, but an iffy red card would not have been the expected vehicle for that scandal.

Next the hosts talk about Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment. Rogers Communication just agreed to buy the final 25% of MLSE that it did not own for about $3.1 billion ($4.35 billion CAD), consolidating one of the biggest sports empires in the world. the next step for Rogers: selling a minority stake in MLSE in a deal that could value the total sports properties at $20+ billion.

They close by talking about a notable (and atypical) investment from media company Versant, which agreed to buy golf simulator business Full Swing from Bruin Capital for $530 million. It’s the latest in Versant’s push into golf, which includes media rights, of course, but also some other adjacent businesses.

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