The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) has expressed shock over FIFA’s decision to suspend the one-match ban imposed on United States striker Folarin Balogun, making him eligible for Monday’s FIFA World Cup Round of 16 clash against Belgium. In a statement released on Sunday, the Belgian federation described FIFA’s ruling……
The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) has expressed shock over FIFA’s decision to suspend the one-match ban imposed on United States striker Folarin Balogun, making him eligible for Monday’s FIFA World Cup Round of 16 clash against Belgium.
In a statement released on Sunday, the Belgian federation described FIFA’s ruling as inconsistent with the tournament’s regulations and announced that it is exploring all available options to protect what it called the integrity of the competition.
The controversy stems from Balogun’s straight red card during the United States’ Round of 32 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina. The striker was dismissed after a VAR review for stepping on the foot of defender Tarik Muharemovic, a decision that ordinarily carries an automatic one-match suspension.
However, FIFA later confirmed that the suspension had been lifted, allowing the 25-year-old forward to feature against Belgium.
Reacting to the development, the RBFA said it was “astonished” by FIFA’s interpretation of its disciplinary code.
“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),” the federation said.
It argued that while FIFA cited Article 27 of its Disciplinary Code, which allows the FIFA Disciplinary Committee to suspend the enforcement of a sanction, the decision contradicts Article 66.4 of the same code, which states that a red card automatically results in suspension for the team’s next match.
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The Belgian federation also pointed to Article 10.5 of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Competition Regulations, which states that any player sent off through a direct red card or a second yellow card “will automatically be suspended from their team’s subsequent match.”
According to the RBFA, the same provision was reinforced in FIFA World Cup 2026 Circular No. 16, distributed to all participating member associations on May 12, and reiterated during pre-match coordination meetings throughout the tournament.
“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 statement added.
Balogun’s availability is a significant boost for the United States ahead of the knockout encounter. The Arsenal forward has been one of the team’s standout performers and is expected to lead the line against Belgium as the Americans bid for a place in the quarter-finals.
