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The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) reacted with astonishment this Sunday to the decision of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee to suspend the one-match ban on the American forward Folarin Balogun, allowing him to play on Monday in the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup against Belgium, despite having been sent off in the previous match, as reported by Marca newspaper.
In an official statement, the Belgian federation announced that it is evaluating its options to uphold the principles of fair play: "To safeguard the legitimate rights of all participating teams and protect the fundamental principles of fair play in our sport, both in this FIFA World Cup and in future editions of the tournament, the RBFA is exploring all possible options."
The origin of the controversy dates back to July 1, when Balogun received a direct red card in the 64th minute of the round of 32 match against Bosnia-Herzegovina, after stepping on the ankle of defender Tarik Muharemovic in a play reviewed by VAR and classified as "serious foul play."
Despite playing with ten men for over 25 minutes, the United States defeated Bosnia 2-0 and advanced to the Round of 16, where they will face Belgium at Lumen Field in Seattle.
The RBFA countered FIFA's regulatory interpretation with precise arguments: "Article 66.4 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code clearly states that a red card automatically results in a suspension for the team's next match, as has happened with all the red cards issued previously during this World Cup."
The Belgian federation added that the resolution "directly contradicts the provisions of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Regulations," specifically Article 10.5, which establishes an automatic suspension for any player sent off with a straight red card.
The most controversial element of the case is the alleged involvement of the President of the United States. According to a source familiar with the matter quoted by CNN en Español, Donald Trump personally called the president of FIFA, Gianni Infantino, days before the announcement to request a review of the sanction.
After the resolution was announced, Trump posted on Truth Social: "Thank you to FIFA for doing the right thing and reversing a great injustice! President DONALD J. TRUMP."
Balogun, only 25 years old and a forward for AS Monaco, is the top scorer for the United States in the tournament with four goals in four matches, including a historic hat-trick in the debut against Paraguay, the first by an American in a World Cup since Bert Patenaude in 1930.
FIFA based its decision on Article 27 of its Disciplinary Code, which allows the Disciplinary Committee to suspend a sanction either fully or partially. The measure places the penalty on a one-year probation period: if Balogun commits another infraction of a similar nature, the suspension will be applied automatically.
The Belgian coach, Rudi Garcia, did not hide his irony when assessing the situation: "It's April Fool's Day."
Garcia also defended his federation's stance beyond immediate sporting interests: "The Belgian federation does not defend itself, it does not defend the national team, it defends football in general. It defends its integrity. It defends its ethics."
The match between the United States and Belgium, which defeated Senegal 3-2 in extra time in the Round of 16, will take place on Monday at Lumen Field in Seattle, with Balogun available for the U.S. team pending the RBFA's exploration or dismissal of the avenues for appeal it is considering.
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