Belgium Appeals FIFA's Suspension of Folarin Balogun's Red Card Ban

Belgium have been given permission to appeal FIFA's decision to suspend the one-match ban on United States striker Folarin Balogun, according to a report by The Athletic. Balogun had been due to miss the United States' FIFA World Cup round-of-16 match against Belgium after receiving a direct red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina, a dismissal that normally carries an automatic one-game suspension. However, FIFA announced on Sunday that "the one-game ban had been suspended," making the striker available for selection. The decision led to criticism from the Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA), which said it was "astonished" and announced it was exploring "all potential options." According to The Athletic, the RBFA formally appealed to FIFA, and the request has been accepted. Belgium and the United States were reportedly asked to submit their arguments by 5 a.m. PT, 12 hours before the scheduled kickoff at Seattle Stadium.

The report said the case will now be heard by a member of FIFA's appeals committee who is not affiliated with either UEFA or CONCACAF. It’s possible a ruling could be made before the Round of 16 game kicks off – but Belgian soccer authorities have reportedly not been given any guarantees. As things stand, Balogun remains eligible to play and is expected to start. The 25-year-old is the United States' leading scorer at the World Cup with three goals, including what proved to be the winner against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the round of 32. Balogun was later shown a red card after a VAR review and was expected to serve a one-match suspension until FIFA suspended the ban on Sunday. US President Donald Trump reportedly called FIFA president Gianni Infantino to ask him to review the matter, while secretary of commerce Howard Lutnick and other White House officials were also involved. Trump praised the decision in a Truth Social post, writing, “Thank you to FIFA for doing what was right and reversing a great injustice!”