Belgian FA Criticizes FIFA's Decision on Balogun

The Belgian Football Association has issued an official statement expressing its "astonishment and strong dismay" at FIFA's decision to deem U.S. national team striker Folarin Balogun eligible to participate in the upcoming match between the United States and Belgium on Monday, July 6, as part of the 2026 World Cup.

The Belgian FA clarified that FIFA based its decision on Article 27 of the Disciplinary Code, which grants FIFA's Disciplinary Committee the authority to suspend the enforcement of a previously imposed disciplinary sanction. However, the Belgian FA emphasized that Article 66.4 of the same code clearly states that a red card automatically leads to a suspension for the next match, a rule that has been consistently applied to all previous expulsions during the tournament.

The statement added that FIFA's decision also contradicts Article 10.5 of the 2026 World Cup regulations, which confirms that any player or team official receiving a direct or indirect red card (after two yellow cards) is automatically suspended for their team's next match, with the possibility of additional sanctions.

The Belgian FA noted that the principle of automatic suspension was explicitly reaffirmed in Circular No. 16 regarding the 2026 World Cup, which was distributed to all participating federations on May 12, 2026, and was reiterated during match coordination meetings and official workshops for the tournament, asserting that FIFA's decision contradicts the regulations and instructions that all teams were informed of in advance.