The status of U.S. men’s national team star striker Folarin Balogun for Monday night’s round of 16 clash against Belgium remains up in the air after the decision to lift his suspension was reportedly the subject of an approved appeal.
While Balogun was given a red card and an automatic one-game suspension for a challenge on Tarik Muharemović in a 2–0 round of 32 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee opted to suspend his red card for one year, allowing him to serve the suspension at a future date, instead of in the round of 16.
The adjustment came days after FIFA confirmed that there was no appeal process for a red card in the tournament. That is, until the early hours of Monday morning, when The Athletic reported that FIFA had granted Belgium the right to appeal the decision to suspend Balogun’s ban, less than 20 hours before the two teams are set to play in Seattle.
According to the report, the Royal Belgian Football Association, which said it was “astonished” by the decision in a statement, wrote to FIFA to appeal the ruling, and FIFA approved the ability to appeal, with a decision potentially coming before the game.
The FIFA appeals committee, which is made up of 14 representatives, will have an adjudicator unrelated to UEFA or Concacaf, leaving both American Neil Eggleston, the chairperson of the committee, and Swedish representative Thomas Bodström, the deputy chairperson, out of the process.
What Is Belgium Looking for With Balogun Appeal?
After an international outcry in support of Belgium, including several UEFA members reportedly aligning with the RBFA, according to Politico, the hope is that a ruling can be issued before the match, which kicks off at 1 a.m. ET.
Belgium has not been given any assurances that the point would be decided, and if it is not satisfied with the ruling, its elevation to the International Court of Arbitration for Sport would not occur in time for kickoff.
Amid their frustrations, the RBFA formally requested that FIFA hear the full rationale for the adjustment to Balogun’s red card, but there are no guarantees they will receive it—let alone in time.
White House Involvement
U.S. President Donald Trump and the White House were quick to make their feelings known about Balogun’s red card suspension, with the President posting “Thank you to FIFA for doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice!” on Truth Social in the hours after the ruling was announced. FIFA, meanwhile, had not posted the decision on its social media platforms but instead unveiled it in a press release.
According to reports from Politico and the New York Times, Trump called FIFA President Gianni Infantino regarding Balogun’s red card. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who sat next to Infantino at the match against Bosnia and Herzegovina, led the recruitment of lawyers to find a solution to Balogun’s absence in the round of 16.
Andrew Giuliani, the executive director of the White House Task Force for the World Cup, was also part of the process, working with lawyers to navigate the star forward’s status.
According to FIFA’s statutes, participants must abide by political neutrality and political interference is not permitted. Still, questions have arisen regarding Balogun’s case, given the public fondness shown between Trump and Infantino, highlighted by the FIFA Peace Prize awarded in December at the World Cup draw in Washington, D.C.
“Red cards are not overturned by political phone calls,” posted former FIFA President Sepp Blatter, the center of a 2015 corruption case, posted to X. “They are overturned by rules, evidence and independent bodies. If a U.S. President intervenes with the FIFA President—and a player is suddenly cleared before a World Cup knockout match—the question is unavoidable: Quo vadis [Where are you going], FIFA?
“Football must never become a playground for political power.”
Should a new direction on Balogun’s status not be determined before kickoff, the story is likely far from over, as nations across FIFA’s 211 members are expected to push back. At the same time, the USMNT itself embraces its top goalscorer as it hopes to qualify for a second-ever World Cup quarterfinal.
