FIFA scraps red card ban so USA’s Balogun can face furious Belgians
KEIR RADNEDGE REPORTS: The Belgian football federation has reacted with fury after FIFA scrapped the suspension incurred by United States forward Folarin Balogun on being sent off for serious foul play in the 64th minute of the USA’s 2-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The two nations meet imminently in the Round of 32 and Balogun, with three goals so far, would have been badly missed by the cohosts. His dismissal was upheld by a video assistant referee review after his studs caught defender Tarik Muharemovic.
Reports on Sunday suggested that the White House actively lobbied FIFA officials to review the suspension. The suspicion of backroom meddling was intensified when US President Donald Trump took to social media to praise the decision, writing: “Thank you to FIFA for doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice!”
The response from Brussels was immediate and scathing. In an official statement, the RBFA accused the world governing body of breaking its own tournament regulations.
A statement highlighted glaring contradictions within FIFA’s own regulatory framework: “Article 66.4 (FIFA Disciplinary Code) clearly mandates that a sending-off automatically results in a suspension from the team’s subsequent match. Article 10.5 (World Cup 2026 Competition Regulations) reaffirms that any player receiving a direct or indirect red card “will automatically be suspended from their team’s subsequent match.”
A circular distributed to all finalist FAs in May had explicitly reinforced the non-negotiable nature of red card bans. The RBFA confirmed it is actively “investigating all potential options” to protect fair play and safeguard its legitimate rights.
The lifting of the ban was not unprecdented. In 1962 the Brazil star Garrincha was sent off in a semi-final victory over Chile but was allowed to play the final in which he and his team-mates beat Czechoslovakia.
RBFA statement:
The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) is astonished by FIFA’s decision to declare suspended United States player Folarin Balogun eligible to play in the USA–Belgium match on Monday, 6 July at 5:00 p.m. (Seattle time).
FIFA bases its decision on Article 27 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code. This provision states that the FIFA Disciplinary Committee may decide to suspend the enforcement of a previously imposed disciplinary sanction.
However, Article 66.4 of the same FIFA Disciplinary Code clearly provides that a red card (sending-off) automatically results in a suspension for the team’s next match, as has been the case for all previous red cards issued during this FIFA World Cup.
Furthermore, and irrespective of the above, the decision is in direct contradiction with the provisions of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Competition Regulations, as set out in Article 10.5:
“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 automatic nature of such a suspension was also explicitly reaffirmed in FIFA World Cup 2026 Circular No. 16, which was distributed to all participating member associations on 12 May 2026.
The same rule is reiterated at every FIFA World Cup 2026 Match Coordination Meeting prior to each match and is included in all FIFA World Cup 2026 workshop presentations.
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.
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