Sports
World Cup: Belgium challenge FIFA’s decision to clear USA’s Balogun for Round of 16 clash
The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) has expressed shock over FIFA’s decision to declare suspended United States forward Folarin Balogun eligible for Monday’s FIFA World Cup Round of 16 clash between the USA and Belgium in Seattle.
In a strongly worded statement released ahead of the fixture scheduled for 5:00 p.m. local time on 6 July, the RBFA said it was “astonished” by FIFA’s ruling and questioned its consistency with the governing body’s own disciplinary and competition regulations.
According to the Belgian federation, FIFA based its decision on Article 27 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, which allows the FIFA Disciplinary Committee to suspend the enforcement of a previously imposed disciplinary sanction.
However, the RBFA argued that the same disciplinary code contains a separate provision that clearly mandates an automatic suspension following a red card.
The association cited Article 66.4 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, which states that a player sent off during a match must automatically serve a suspension in the team’s next fixture; a rule it said has been consistently applied throughout the ongoing FIFA World Cup.
The Belgian federation further maintained that FIFA’s decision also contradicts the FIFA World Cup 2026 Competition Regulations.
Referring specifically to Article 10.5 of the tournament regulations, the RBFA quoted the provision:
“If a player or team official is sent off as a result of a direct or indirect red card (second caution), they will automatically be suspended from their team’s subsequent match. In addition, further sanctions may be imposed.”
The RBFA added that the automatic suspension rule was also reaffirmed in FIFA World Cup 2026 Circular No. 16, which was distributed to all participating member associations on 12 May 2026.
READ ALSO: World Cup: Balogun scores, sees red as USA beat Bosnia to reach Round of 16
According to the Belgian federation, the same guidance has been reiterated during every FIFA World Cup 2026 Match Coordination Meeting before matches and has also featured in all official FIFA World Cup 2026 workshop presentations.
The association warned that FIFA’s latest decision raises broader concerns about consistency in the application of the tournament’s disciplinary rules.
“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 concluded.
The controversy comes ahead of Monday’s highly anticipated knockout meeting between Belgium and the United States, with FIFA yet to publicly provide further clarification on the interpretation of the regulations that allowed Balogun to be cleared for the fixture.
(Premium Times)
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