FIFA rejects Belgian claim in Balogun case over procedural standing

The FIFA Appeals Committee has dismissed a request from the Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) concerning the Folarin Balogun case. The committee determined that the RBFA is not a party involved in the proceedings and thus lacks the legal standing to challenge the decision.

The RBFA had submitted a request related to a decision made by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee. This decision involved suspending a one-year ban on matches for U.S. national team player Folarin Balogun. Balogun received a direct red card during the FIFA World Cup 2026 match between the United States and Bosnia and Herzegovina, played in the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium on July 1, 2026.

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The Appeals Committee of FIFA has dismissed a request presented by the Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) regarding the Balogun case, considering that it is not a party to the procedure and, therefore, lacks the legitimacy to appeal the decision.

The FIFA statement specified that the RBFA's request was declared inadmissible because the association is not a party to the procedure. Consequently, it cannot appeal the decision. Notably, the president of the Appeals Committee, Neil Eggleston from the United States, did not participate in this specific ruling.

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The request was declared inadmissible considering that the RBFA is not a party to the procedure and, therefore, lacks the legitimacy to appeal the decision.