Belgium outraged over Balogun case... with Trump entering the fray

The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) released a statement expressing its complete disagreement with FIFA’s decision to make U.S. striker Folarin Balogun eligible to play despite originally being suspended after receiving a red card in the previous knockout round.

Belgium enraged at FIFA Balogun red card decision

The statement reads as follows:

The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) is astonished by FIFA’s decision to declare suspended United States player Folarin Balogun eligible to play in the USA–Belgium match on Monday, 6 July at 5:00 p.m. (Seattle time).

FIFA bases its decision on Article 27 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code. This provision states that the FIFA Disciplinary Committee may decide to suspend the enforcement of a previously imposed disciplinary sanction.

However, Article 66.4 of the same FIFA Disciplinary Code clearly provides that a red card (sending-off) automatically results in a suspension for the team’s next match, as has been the case for all previous red cards issued during this FIFA World Cup.

Belgian willing to pursue Balogan matter as far as possible

The Belgian federation also indicated it is prepared to pursue the matter as far as possible:

In order to safeguard the legitimate rights of all participating teams and to protect the fundamental principles of fair play in our sport, both at this FIFA World Cup and at future editions of the tournament, the RBFA is investigating all potential options.

The controversy erupted on the eve of the match and gained even more attention after Donald Trump publicly thanked FIFA on social media for reversing what he described as “a great injustice.” According to multiple reports, pressure from the U.S. president may have played a significant role in the review of the case.

Belgium’s statement also provided further details:

Furthermore, and irrespective of the above, the decision is in direct contradiction with the provisions of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Competition Regulations, as set out in Article 10.5:

“If a player or team official is sent off as a result of a direct or indirect red card (second caution), they will automatically be suspended from their team’s subsequent match. In addition, further sanctions may be imposed.”

The automatic nature of such a suspension was also explicitly reaffirmed in FIFA World Cup 2026 Circular No. 16, which was distributed to all participating member associations on 12 May 2026.

The same rule is reiterated at every FIFA World Cup 2026 Match Coordination Meeting prior to each match and is included in all FIFA World Cup 2026 workshop presentations.

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