United States midfielder Christian Pulisic (10) celebrates with teammate Folarin Balogun (20) after a goal against Paraguay during the first half of a 2026 FIFA World Cup soccer match at Los Angeles Stadium in Inglewood, California, June 12, 2026.
Medianews Group/pasadena Star-news via Getty Images | Medianews Group | Getty Images
FIFA’s appeals committee has rejected a challenge from Belgian soccer authorities over the eligibility of the United States men’s national team striker. Folarin Balogun play against Belgium in a World Cup single-elimination game in Seattle on Monday night.
FIFA, football’s international governing body, said the Royal Belgian Football Association’s challenge “was rendered inadmissible on the grounds that the URBSFA is not a party to the proceedings and, as such, does not have standing to appeal the decision” to suspend Balogun for one match.
Balogun was due to serve the suspension on Monday evening after receiving a red card and being sent off during last Wednesday’s match against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
FIFA Disciplinary Committee canceled Balogunsuspension after the president Donald Trump request FIFA President Gianni Infantino will review the decision.
In its statement on Monday, FIFA said that “the chairman of the FIFA appeal committee, Neil Eggleston (of the United States), was not involved in the decision” to reject the Royal Belgian Football AssociationThe challenge of overturning the suspension.
The URBSFA, in a press release published Monday, declared itself “surprised by FIFA’s decision to declare suspended American player Folarin Balogun eligible to play in the USA-Belgium match.”
The URBSFA lambasted earlier Monday FIFA for refusing to “respond to URBSFA’s legitimate inquiries regarding what allowed Balogun to be allowed to participate in the match when he had already been suspended for one match.
“To be clear, to date, the URBSFA has still not received any decision or explanation from FIFA on this matter,” the association said in a statement.
“There is therefore no alternative but to challenge the player’s eligibility for the next match.”
The RBFA called FIFA’s decision to allow Balogun to play a “direct contradiction” with the regulations for the 2026 World Cup. These regulations state: “If a player or team official is sent off as a result of a direct or indirect red card (second warning), he will be automatically suspended from his team’s next match.”
Balogun, 25, received a controversial red card and was sent off after a video showing during the United States’ 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday.
Trump confirmed to reporters on Monday that he had called Infantino, the FIFA president, to ask him to review the issuance of the card and Balogun’s automatic suspension for the Belgium match.
“I asked for a review because I didn’t think it was wrong,” Trump said. “I didn’t know what a red card was.”
Trump thanked FIFA on Sunday for Social truth “for doing what was right and righting a great injustice!”
Athletics reported earlier on Monday that FIFA had granted the URBSFA the right to formally appeal the decision.
The URBSFA later said it did not intend to appeal the decision, but requested information, which FIFA interpreted as an appeal.
But FIFA provided “no information” regarding the appeal, the URBSFA said.
“While the URBSFA was simply looking for legitimate explanations, FIFA itself filed an appeal and immediately ensured that it was declared inadmissible,” the URBSFA said.
UEFA, European football’s governing body, said in a statement on Monday that FIFA had “crossed a red line” with the decision, which it called “unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable.”
“Football, like any other sport, is based on rules which provide the basis for fair, honest and transparent competition,” UEFA said.
“When the certainty of the rules is no longer guaranteed by its guardians, the integrity of the game is at stake and the credibility of a competition is undermined,” UEFA said. “Similarly, such a decision sets a precedent in the current tournament, where similar situations will now require equal treatment, to the detriment of the competition.”
“Football is the most loved sport in the world because it is a beautiful game and is trusted because it is played under the same laws everywhere. A tournament is never an isolated sport and, if the tournament in question is the World Cup, it has the power to have positive or negative consequences on the game as a whole,” UEFA said.
US Soccer, in a statement released Sunday, said: “We accept the decision of the disciplinary committee and are pleased that Folarin Balogun is eligible to compete tomorrow.”
“All of our attention is focused on the Round of 16 match against Belgium in Seattle, and we look forward to the continued support of our incredible fans,” US Soccer said.
Why FIFA let Folarin Balogun playBalogun received a red card in the match against Bosnia and Herzegovina after video showed him landing on the ankle of Tarik Muharemovic during contact between the two players.
This red card resulted in an immediate one-match suspension without appeal, as is normal.
But FIFA, for the first time in more than 60 years of the World Cup, said it would allow him to participate in the next match.
FIFA, in a statement Sunday, declared that “the application of the automatic match suspension for American player Folarin Balogun is suspended for a probationary period of one (1) year.”
FIFA cited Article 27 of its disciplinary code, which states that “the judicial body may decide to totally or partially suspend the execution of a disciplinary measure.”
Trump’s role in FIFA’s decisionTHE New York Times reported that Trump called Infantino on Wednesday and asked him to review Balogun’s suspension, citing three people familiar with the conversation. Sports broadcaster Ben Jacobs was the first to report that the White House had called Infantino for this purpose.
Citing a US official, MS NOW reported that during the call, Trump wanted to better understand why Balogun received a red card and why it led to his suspension.
The official said the “US government” provided “additional evidence” to FIFA and that the association’s disciplinary committee used that information in the process that led to Balogun’s suspension being overturned.
The government focused on referees reviewing a slow-motion replay before the red card was issued, according to the official.
“Ultimately, the correct and appropriate outcome was reached,” the official told MS NOW.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from CNBC
Trump has been heavily involved in the tournament, which the United States is co-hosting with Mexico and Canada.
He maintains close relations with Infantinothe president of FIFA, who awarded Trump his inaugural ceremony peace price last year, after the president fiercely pursued the Nobel Peace Prize and failed to win it.
Trump’s 2025 financial disclosurewhich became public last week, revealed that Infantino had given Trump 10 tickets, worth $15,000, to last July’s FIFA. Club World Cup final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
Trump attended this match, where Chelsea beat Paris Saint-Germain 3-0, and joined Infantino on the field to hand over the trophy.
When the United States faces BelgiumTeam USA will face Belgium in Seattle on Monday in the round of 16 at 8 p.m. ET. The winner of the match will get their ticket to face Portugal or Spain in the quarter-finals.
Balogun, who scored three goals in the three matches he played in this World Cup, is a American citizen by birth who grew up in the United Kingdom.
—CNBC Luc’s Fountain contributed to this article.