FIFA has dismissed Belgium’s appeal against Folarin Balogun’s red card suspension in a terse ruling, declaring the Belgian federation had no legal standing to challenge the decision. The move caps a week of chaos, political meddling, and growing outrage over the U.S. striker’s eligibility for the World Cup round of 16 match.
The controversy erupted after FIFA’s disciplinary committee suspended Balogun’s one-match ban, allowing him to play against Belgium on Monday. The reversal came after U.S. President Donald Trump personally called FIFA president Gianni Infantino to argue the red card was unjustified. Trump confirmed the call on Monday, saying, “All I did, I asked for a review because I didn’t think it was a foul.”
Belgium’s soccer federation, the RBFA, called the decision “astonishing” and filed a last-ditch appeal. But FIFA’s Appeal Committee, chaired by American Neil Eggleston, ruled the federation had no right to intervene. “The RBFA is not a party to the proceedings,” the committee said, adding that Eggleston recused himself from the decision.
Balogun, who leads the U.S. team with three goals in four games, is set to start in Seattle as the Americans chase a rare World Cup quarterfinal berth. The saga has ignited a debate over fairness, political influence, and FIFA’s disciplinary process, with critics accusing the governing body of bending rules for a superpower.
