Belgium Erupts Against FIFA Over "Pardon" for Balogun Before Round of 16 Match

The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) has lodged a strong public protest with FIFA, expressing astonishment at the Disciplinary Committee's decision to suspend a one-match ban for U.S. forward Folarin Balogun. This ruling makes the striker available for Belgium's Round of 16 World Cup match.

In a statement released on its official website, the RBFA highlighted what it considers a regulatory contradiction. FIFA based its decision on Article 27 of the Disciplinary Code, which allows the committee to suspend the execution of a disciplinary sanction. However, the Belgian federation pointed to Article 66.4 of the same code, which clearly states that a direct red card automatically results in a suspension for the team's next match, a rule consistently applied to all previous red cards in the tournament.

The RBFA further argued that this resolution directly conflicts with Article 10.5 of the 2026 World Cup Regulations. This article explicitly states that a player expelled by a direct red card or two yellow cards is automatically suspended for the next match, with the possibility of additional sanctions. The automatic nature of such suspensions was reportedly reaffirmed in Circular No. 16, sent to all participating associations on May 12, and reiterated in pre-match coordination meetings.

FIFA announced on Sunday that Balogun's one-match suspension would be subject to a one-year probationary period, allowing the U.S. team's top scorer to participate in the match against Belgium. Notably, former U.S. President Donald Trump publicly thanked FIFA on Truth Social for what he called "doing the right thing" and reversing a "great injustice."

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