Belgium 'astonished' as Fifa wipes Balogun's ban ahead of USA last-16 clash

Belgium’s football association has declared itself “astonished” after Fifa wiped Folarin Balogun’s one-match suspension, clearing the United States striker to play in the World Cup last-16 tie against Belgium in Seattle on 6 July.

Balogun had been handed an automatic ban following a controversial red card in the USA’s round of 32 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina. In an extraordinary move on Monday, Fifa cited Article 27 of its own disciplinary code — which allows a judicial body to “fully or partially suspend the implementation of a disciplinary measure” — to reinstate his availability.

The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) responded with a formal statement arguing the decision directly contradicts two separate provisions of Fifa’s own rulebook. Article 66.4 of the Fifa Disciplinary Code, the RBFA noted, states that a red card automatically results in a suspension for the team’s next match — a rule that has been applied consistently to every other red card issued at this World Cup. Article 10.5 of the Fifa World Cup 2026 Competition Regulations further enshrines the automatic nature of such bans, language that was also reaffirmed in a circular distributed to all participating associations as recently as 12 May 2026.

“The RBFA is astonished by Fifa’s decision to declare suspended United States player Folarin Balogun eligible to play in the USA–Belgium match,” the statement read. “The decision is in direct contradiction with the provisions of the Fifa World Cup 2026 Competition Regulations.”

The Belgian FA added that the automatic suspension 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,” underlining how clearly established the regulation was considered to be.

The controversy has been compounded by the involvement of US president Donald Trump, who publicly praised Fifa for “reversing a great injustice” following the decision. Trump’s close personal relationship with Fifa president Gianni Infantino has prompted wider questions about sporting integrity and the independence of the governing body’s disciplinary process.

The RBFA confirmed it is “investigating all potential options” to protect what it described as the “legitimate rights of all participating teams” and the “fundamental principles of fair play,” both at this tournament and at future editions of the World Cup.