The Belgian Football Federation has vowed to “challenge” FIFA’s decision to overturn Folarin Balogun’s controversial red card game suspension and allow the American star to play in the World Cup Round of 16 match against Belgium.
A statement from the Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) on Monday, released hours before the match, defended US President Donald Trump, saying he had contacted FIFA president Gianni Infantino directly ahead of the controversial decision.
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The federation accused FIFA of failing to follow proper procedures in allowing Balogun to appeal the lifting of his suspension for his red card in the Round of 32 match against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
RBFA said that given FIFA’s actions, the federation “has no choice but to contest (Balogun’s) eligibility for the upcoming matches.”
“Regardless of the sporting outcome of this match, the RBFA is deeply concerned about the developments and will continue to fight in the hours, days and months ahead to uphold the fundamental principles of ethics, fair competition and the interests of football as a whole,” the federation said.
Shortly after, the federation announced that the appeal had been deemed “inadmissible” by the FIFA Appeals Committee. It also accused FIFA of “violating” its regulations by failing to provide a valid reason.
He added that he has informed the U.S. Soccer Federation that he is contesting Balogun’s eligibility for Monday’s game.
President Trump says he asked Infantino to ‘review’ decision
The decision to lift Balogun’s one-game suspension came shortly after President Trump spoke directly with Infantino.
This has raised eyebrows and led to accusations of political interference in the tournament, with critics pointing out that it is highly unusual for FIFA to lift a suspension of matches during a World Cup, even if the referee has made a questionable call.
If Balogun is allowed to play, it will be the first time since 1962 that a red card at a World Cup was not suspended.
FIFA said it relied on Article 27 of the Disciplinary Committee Regulations to reverse the match ban. The same article states that “the judicial body may decide to suspend the implementation of disciplinary measures, in whole or in part.”
FIFA previously said Team USA could not appeal the match ban.
President Trump denied directly influencing FIFA’s decision to reporters on Monday.
“I asked for a review of everything I did, because I didn’t think it was foul,” Trump told reporters.
“I thought it was two great athletes colliding and getting tangled up.”
He also called soccer referee Rafael Krauss “highly doubtful.” “We will provide the past if you wish,” he added, without providing further details.
Later on Monday, Infantino also released the contents of his conference call, which he said he regularly receives from “heads of state, government officials, football professionals and business executives from around the world on a variety of issues.”
Infantino claimed he was not involved in the decision to suspend Balogun and was only informed after the suspension was lifted.
“During our conversation, I explained that legal proceedings involving FIFA’s independent judiciary were ongoing and that the matter would be appropriately decided by the competent authority,” he said.
“Get rid of politics”
Indeed, some leading football pundits have questioned Klaus’ decision to show Balogun a red card.
Many argue that Balogun accidentally stepped on the ankle of Bosnia and Herzegovina defender Tarik Mujaremović during a legitimate challenge, but that the contact did not warrant a potentially tournament-altering penalty.
Nevertheless, the unusual turn of events is likely to have a further negative impact on the politics surrounding the upcoming games, leading to further criticism of the Trump administration’s treatment of the Iranian national team.
Observers say Trump’s perceived intervention could taint the future success of the U.S. national team, which has far exceeded expectations under coach Mauricio Pochettino.
“This is an embarrassment to a great American team and great players,” Sibley Telhami, a peace and development professor at the University of Maryland, wrote about X in response to FIFA’s decision.
“Leave politics out. This U.S. team is good enough to win honorably. This is a diminishing victory.”
