FIFA Rejects Belgian FA Appeal Over Balogun Red Card

The Disciplinary Committee of FIFA has rejected the appeal filed by the Royal Belgian Football Association against the world’s governing body of football's decision to cancel the red card for US national team forward Folarin Balogun, FIFA’s press office said in a statement.

"The FIFA Appeal Committee has rendered a request submitted by the Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) as inadmissible in relation to the FIFA Disciplinary Committee’s decision to suspend for one year the match suspension imposed on United States national-team player Folarin Balogun following his dismissal for a direct red card during the FIFA World Cup 2026 match between the United States and Bosnia and Herzegovina, played on July 1, 2026 at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium. The chairperson of the FIFA Appeal Committee, Neil Eggleston (from the United States), was not involved in the decision," the statement reads.

"The request was rendered inadmissible on the grounds that the RBFA is not a party to the proceedings and, as such, has no standing to appeal the decision," the statement added.

Following a video review, Balogun was slapped with a red card after he appeared to drive his cleat into the ankle of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Tarik Muharemovic in their match during the Round of 32 at the world championship. The Royal Belgian Football Association has appealed FIFA’s decision to overturn Balogun’s red-card disqualification ahead of Monday's US-Belgium Last 16 match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Reuters news agency reported earlier in the day citing its sources that Balogun's red-card ban was scrapped after US President Donald Trump personally urged FIFA President Gianni Infantino to review the case.

Still earlier, FIFA said in a statement that "USA striker Folarin Balogun will be available to play in the co-host’s FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 match against Belgium on Monday [July 6] at Seattle Stadium."

However, the European governing body of football, UEFA (the Union of European Football Federations) issued a statement later in the day stating that FIFA had crossed a "red line."

"Yesterday’s decision to suspend for a probationary period of a year the implementation of the one-match automatic suspension following the red card issued to the player Folarin Balogun crossed a red line," the UEFA’s statement reads.

Belgium and the United States will square off tonight at Seattle Stadium.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is co-hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States between June 11 and July 19. The matches are staged in 16 cities across the three countries. This is be the first FIFA World Cup featuring 48 teams instead of the previous 32-team format.