The Royal Belgian Football Association said in a statement that it’s “astonished” by the FIFA ruling Sunday that suspended the red-card suspension of Folarin Balogun, allowing the star USMNT striker to be available for the World Cup Round of 16 match Monday.
“FIFA bases its decision on Article 27 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code,” the association said in its statement. “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.”
The association also cited Article 10.5 of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Competition Regulations as echoing a similar sentiment.
“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,” the association continued in its statement.
Instead of the suspension, Balogun, who picked up the red card in the Round of 32 against Bosnia-Herzegovina received a probationary period of one year, and if commits another infraction during that stretch, the suspension of his red-card ban will be “the suspension shall be revoked by the judicial body and the sanction enforced without prejudice to any additional sanction imposed for the new infringement,” according to Article 27.
Balogun, who has collected three goals during his first World Cup, was shown off when his foot connected with the area around the ankle of Tarik Muharemovic.
