FIFA suspend two US officials as Balogun red-card row draws Rooney's 'absolute disgrace' verdict

FIFA has suspended two United States football officials — team manager Sam Zapatka and US Soccer vice president of security Frank Pannell — in the aftermath of the USA’s 4-1 Round of 16 defeat to Belgium at the 2026 World Cup.

The bans were published on FIFA’s official website, which lists sanctions without detailed explanations, meaning no formal reason has been given for either suspension. Speculation has centred on the Folarin Balogun controversy, though nothing has been officially confirmed.

Balogun had received a straight red card during the USA’s Round of 32 win over Bosnia & Herzegovina, a dismissal that should have ruled him out of the Belgium fixture. FIFA instead chose to postpone his one-match ban until after the tournament, making him eligible to play. The decision drew widespread criticism from fans and pundits alike, and was further complicated when US President Donald Trump publicly applauded the ruling from the Oval Office and confirmed he had spoken with FIFA president Gianni Infantino. Belgium responded by threatening consequences and cautioning the USA against including Balogun in their starting line-up.

Balogun did feature against Belgium, but the controversy did little to help the hosts on the pitch. Belgium cruised to a comfortable 4-1 victory to advance, eliminating the USA in front of what FOX Sports confirmed was the most-watched football broadcast in US history, with approximately 30 million viewers tuning in.

Wayne Rooney was among the most vocal critics of FIFA’s handling of the ban, calling the decision to suspend Balogun’s punishment “an absolute disgrace” and saying Infantino should be ashamed. Rooney drew on personal experience, recalling how he was required to complete a coaching session with young players in Switzerland to have one game removed from a three-match ban ahead of Euro 2012 — a process he described as wrong at the time, but one that at least involved some form of accountability.

The two officials who were suspended had been among the roughly 30 million viewers watching Monday’s defeat, having already been banned following the Bosnia match. FIFA has yet to clarify the precise nature of the offences that led to Zapatka’s and Pannell’s sanctions.