2026 World Cup: Balogun cleared to play after FIFA anger Belgian camp
Folarin Balogun was supposed to watch the last-16 tie against Belgium from the stands. Instead, he will be in the matchday squad. With less than two days to go before the Seattle showdown, FIFA has decided to suspend the automatic one-match ban handed to the United States forward after his red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is an almost unheard-of call, and one that has already spilled well beyond football.
The White House also got involved. According to several US media outlets, Donald Trump personally contacted FIFA president Gianni Infantino and urged him to take another look at Balogun’s case. Hours after the ruling was announced, the US president publicly thanked the governing body for, in his words, “fixing a serious injustice.” In Belgium, unsurprisingly, they see it very differently.
A red card that does not end up sidelining Balogun
The story began on Wednesday night. After scoring in the United States’ 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina, Folarin Balogun was sent off in the 64th minute for a stamp on Tarik Muharemovic. A straight red would normally bring an automatic ban for the next game. All signs pointed to the former Monaco striker missing the last-16 clash with Belgium.
Then Sunday brought a complete U-turn. FIFA’s disciplinary committee invoked article 27 of its disciplinary code to suspend the sanction for a one-year probationary period. On paper, Balogun is still sanctioned, but he is allowed to face the Red Devils.
Even the American players struggled to believe it. Chris Richards said several members of the squad learned the news on social media while travelling to training. Some first assumed it was fake content produced by artificial intelligence. This time, though, it was very real.
Belgium do not buy it and are considering their next move
The Belgian reaction came quickly. The federation said it was “stunned” and openly challenged FIFA’s reading of the rules. Its argument is straightforward: article 66.4 of the disciplinary code states that a sending-off automatically leads to a ban for the next match.
The RBFA also points to article 10.5 of the 2026 World Cup regulations, which says the same thing. For Belgian officials, Balogun should not be allowed to play on Monday. The federation says it is now examining “all possible options” to defend its rights and protect fair play in the tournament.
And this is bigger than just the US striker. In November 2025, article 27 had already allowed Cristiano Ronaldo to have two matches of his ban suspended after his red card against Ireland. Other players have also benefited from similar decisions before the start of the World Cup. But the Balogun case goes a step further: here, the player avoids the automatic one-match ban that should have followed straight after his red card.
Try it for $0.99.
A major boost before the showdown with Belgium
For Mauricio Pochettino, the news changes the picture. Balogun is one of the United States’ main attacking threats, and he had just scored against Bosnia before his dismissal. The US coach insists he kept clear of the behind-the-scenes push over the case, leaving the federation to handle it while his staff focused on preparing for the match.
So the United States get their centre-forward back for one of the biggest games in their recent history. They have not reached the World Cup quarter-finals since 2002. To get there again, they will have to knock out a Belgium side that surely did not expect to see Balogun back on the pitch in Seattle.
With hours to go before kick-off, the fight has already started far from the field. And whatever happens in the last-16 tie, FIFA’s call is likely to be talked about for a long time yet.
Discover more 2026 World Cup news on our mathodds website and app !
in your pocket.
Real-time notifications & alerts
Leave a Reply