Belgium furious with FIFA over Balogun decision: 'Contradicts football regulations'

Belgium's football federation is furious with FIFA over a decision that allows American player Folarin Balogun to participate in the upcoming match against Belgium in the 2024 World Cup Round of 16. The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) issued a strongly worded statement expressing its astonishment and condemning the ruling. The RBFA asserts that FIFA's decision directly conflicts with both the FIFA Disciplinary Code and the regulations of the World Cup tournament itself.

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The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) expresses its surprise at FIFA's decision to make United States player Folarin Balogun available for the USA - Belgium match on Monday, July 6.

The RBFA highlighted that FIFA's decision appears to be based on Article 27 of the Disciplinary Code, which allows for the suspension of disciplinary sanctions. However, the Belgian federation pointed to Article 66.4 of the same code, which clearly states that a direct red card results in an automatic one-match ban, a precedent consistently applied in previous World Cup incidents. Furthermore, the RBFA emphasized that FIFA's decision directly contradicts Article 10.5 of the 2026 World Cup Regulations. This article explicitly states that a player or official sent off with a direct red card or two yellow cards is automatically suspended for the next match, with the possibility of additional sanctions.

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The automatic nature of this penalty was also explicitly confirmed through Circular No. 16 of the 2026 World Cup, which was sent to all participating federations on May 12, 2026.

The automatic nature of this penalty was reportedly confirmed in Circular No. 16 of the 2026 World Cup, distributed to all participating federations on May 12, 2026. The same regulation is reiterated in pre-match coordination meetings and official FIFA presentations to delegations. The RBFA stressed that to protect the legitimate rights of all participating teams and uphold the fundamental principles of fair play in current and future World Cups, it is exploring all available legal avenues to contest FIFA's decision.

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In order to protect the legitimate rights of all participating teams and to safeguard the fundamental principles of fair play, both in this and in future World Cups, the RBFA is examining all possible options available to it.