Belgium’s FA to Contest FIFA Over Turnabout on Balogun World Cup Ban

The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) has pledged to contest FIFA’s disputed reversal of a red-card suspension handed to U.S. star Folarin Balogun, a decision that clears him to play in the round-of-16 World Cup clash with Belgium.

The RBFA issued its statement on Monday, hours before kickoff, as former U.S. President Donald Trump acknowledged contacting FIFA President Gianni Infantino ahead of the contentious ruling.

The federation argued that FIFA bypassed proper procedure in permitting an appeal of Balogun’s ban, originally issued for a red card in the round-of-32 match against Bosnia-Herzegovina.

The RBFA said that, given FIFA’s actions, it “has no alternative but to challenge [Balogun’s] eligibility for the upcoming match.” The mechanics of such a challenge remained unclear.

“Regardless of the sporting outcome of this match, the RBFA is deeply concerned by the course of events and will continue to fight in the coming hours, days and months in defence of the fundamental principles of ethics, fair competition, and the interests of football as a whole,” the body said.

Trump says he asked Infantino to ‘review’ the decision

The suspension was lifted shortly after Trump spoke directly with Infantino.

The timing stirred suspicion and allegations of political interference, with critics pointing out that FIFA seldom overturns a World Cup match ban even after debatable officiating.

Should Balogun feature, it would mark the first time since 1962 that a World Cup red card did not carry a suspension.

FIFA cited Article 27 of its disciplinary code, which allows a judicial body to “fully or partially suspend the implementation of a disciplinary measure.” The federation had previously stated the ban could not be appealed by the U.S. squad.

On Monday, Trump denied directly shaping the outcome. “All I did, I asked for a review, because I didn’t think it was a foul,” he told reporters. “I thought it was two great athletes that crashed into each other and got entangled.”

He also called referee Raphael Claus “very suspect,” adding, “If you want, I’ll provide you with the past,” without elaborating.

Later Monday, Infantino described his call with Trump as one of many he fields from global leaders and stakeholders. He said he was not part of the suspension decision and learned of it afterward.

“During our conversation, I explained that there was an ongoing legal process involving FIFA’s independent judicial bodies and that the case would be decided in due course by the competent bodies,” Infantino said.

‘Keep politics out’

Several prominent analysts had questioned Claus’s red-card call, noting Balogun appeared to step inadvertently on defender Tarik Muharemovic’s ankle in a legal challenge that scarcely warranted a match-changing penalty.

Still, the episode is likely to deepen perceptions of politicization around the tournament, compounding scrutiny of the Trump administration’s handling of Iran’s national team.

Observers warned that Trump’s involvement could overshadow any U.S. progress under coach Mauricio Pochettino. “This is embarrassing to a wonderful US team and a wonderful player,” wrote University of Maryland professor Shibley Telhami on X. “Keep politics out. This US team is good enough to win honourably. Now, a win will be diminished.”

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