FIFA Denies Belgium's Appeal on Balogun's Eligibility
Despite receiving a red card and a subsequent one-game suspension in the round of 32, USA star Folarin Balogun has been cleared to play in the team's round of 16 World Cup matchup against Belgium, with the decision being upheld after an appeal from Belgium.
"As its only response, FIFA sent a letter to the RBFA stating that it considered this correspondence to constitute an appeal, that a judge had been appointed, and that the RBFA had only a few hours to complete that appeal. No information whatsoever was provided by FIFA," the Royal Belgium Football Association said in its initial statement on Monday morning before FIFA reached a decision on Balogun's status.
"For an appeal to be admissible, FIFA’s own regulations state that the reasoned decision must first have been communicated to the appellant. While the RBFA was merely seeking legitimate explanations, FIFA itself created an appeal and immediately ensured that it would be declared inadmissible. All of this occurred while FIFA simultaneously refused to respond to the RBFA’s legitimate requests."
"Furthermore, during the match coordination meeting, FIFA deliberately removed the section concerning the automatic suspension of players from its presentation. This topic had nonetheless been part of all such meetings before each of the previous four matches. The RBFA questioned FIFA, both orally and in writing, about the reasons for this change, yet once again received no response."
The Royal Belgium Football Association expressed deep concern over FIFA's process, stating it had "not received any decision or any explanation from FIFA" and had "no alternative but to challenge the player's eligibility for the upcoming match".
FIFA president Gianni Infantino addressed the situation, stating, "I have seen the public comments regarding the decision of the independent FIFA Disciplinary Committee related to the suspension of Folarin Balogun, and I would like to reiterate a fundamental principle of FIFA’s governance. FIFA’s judicial bodies are independent. They operate autonomously, apply the FIFA Disciplinary Code, and decide cases based on the applicable regulations and the specific facts before them,"
"Their independence is essential to the credibility and integrity of football, and this must always be respected."
Belgium manager Rudi Garcia expressed his surprise at the decision, saying he "didn't know the fifth of July corresponded to the first of April" in the "FIFA office."
Balogun, who scored in the 45th minute of USA's round of 32 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina and has a team-high three goals in the 2026 World Cup, will be available for the round of 16 matchup against Belgium.
