Belgium threaten eligibility challenge after FIFA overturns Balogun red card ban

The Royal Belgian Football Association is threatening a formal eligibility challenge against United States striker Folarin Balogun after FIFA overturned his automatic one-match suspension, clearing him to play in the World Cup last-16 — a decision Belgium says it has still not received in writing.

In a statement issued on Monday, the RBFA outlined a series of procedural grievances with FIFA, alleging that the governing body failed to communicate any reasoned decision, refused to answer written requests for clarification, and then unilaterally treated Belgium’s request for information as a formal appeal — before immediately ruling it inadmissible on the grounds that no reasoned decision had been provided to the appellant.

“For an appeal to be admissible, FIFA’s own regulations state that the reasoned decision must first have been communicated to the appellant,” the RBFA statement read. “While the RBFA was merely seeking legitimate explanations, FIFA itself created an appeal and immediately ensured that it would be declared inadmissible.”

The association also alleged that FIFA removed the section concerning automatic player suspensions from its pre-match coordination meeting presentation — a section that had featured in all four previous such meetings — and again provided no explanation when challenged on the omission.

“As of this moment, the RBFA has still not received any decision or any explanation from FIFA regarding this matter,” the statement continued. “It therefore has no alternative but to challenge the player’s eligibility for the upcoming match.”

Balogun received a red card during the USMNT’s Round of 32 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina, which would ordinarily have triggered an automatic one-match ban. FIFA subsequently suspended that ban following a review process that drew widespread attention after US President Donald Trump contacted FIFA President Gianni Infantino to request a formal appeal. An independent panel later ruled to lift the suspension.

The RBFA said it intends to pursue the matter beyond the immediate fixture, adding that it is “deeply concerned by the course of events and will continue to fight in the coming hours, days and months in defence of the fundamental principles of ethics, fair competition, and the interests of football as a whole.”