FIFA / FIFA

The decision of the FIFA to hold in abeyance one match suspension after award of red card to the US player Folarin Balogun to enable him to play the round of 16 game against Belgium has stirred hornet’s nest.

The “questionable decision”, according to media reports, was made following “intervention by the US President Donald Trump”. Besides others, the Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) said it was “astonished” at the FIFA’s backtracking of a VAR decision taken after Folarun Balogun stepped on the right ankle of Bosnia & Herzegovina player Tariq Mulharemovic in the 62^nd minute of the match. The USA won 2-0 in the round of 32 match. Folarin Balogun was given a red card triggering an automatic one match suspension.

Media reports suggest that President Donald Trump called the FIFA President Gianni Infantino after the game asking FIFA to review the decision. Now when FIFA reviewed the decision, President Trump took to his social media handle and thanked FIFA saying: “Thank you to FIFA for doing what was right and reversing a great injustice.

The Belgian coach Rudi Garcia mocked FIFA’s action. He was quoted by media saying that “I did not now that in the office of FIFA the 5^th of July was the first of April in Europe”, Mr Garcia said through a translator, in an April Fool’s Day comparison.

“The Belgian Federation does not defend itself; it does not protect the national team, she defends football in general, she defends her interests. I think it is the first time in the history of the World Cup that there is this kind of decision.”

After severe criticism in various quarters, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee came out with an official statement. Here is the statement from the chairperson of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee, dated July 6, 2026:

1. On July 1, 2026, during the FIFA World Cup 2026™ match between the U.S. and Bosnia & Herzegovina, U.S. player Folarin Balogun was sent off with a red card in the 64th minute for serious foul play following a VAR review. After the match, he entered the field of play to celebrate with his teammates despite his expulsion.
2. On July 2, 2026, FIFA opened disciplinary proceedings against Balogun for possible breaches of Article 66 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code (expulsion and match suspension related to the red card) and Article 14 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code (misconduct of players related to the celebration).
3. On July 5, 2026, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee found Balogun guilty of both infringements, imposed a one-match suspension (suspended on probation for one year) and a USD 40,000 fine, and notified the parties of the decision.
4. With respect to the sporting sanction, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee imposed a one-match suspension. The decision specifically stated that this suspension included the automatic suspension that would otherwise have been served in the forthcoming FIFA World Cup match between the U.S. and Belgium, scheduled for July 6, 2026. In practical terms, absent any further measure by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee, Balogun would have been ineligible to participate in that match.
5. However, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee went on to apply Article 27 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, under which it has discretion to suspend the implementation of any disciplinary measures, and ordered that the implementation of the one-match suspension be suspended for a probationary period of one year. As a result, Balogun is not required to immediately serve the suspension. Instead, the sanction remains dormant during the probationary period and will only be activated if he commits another infringement of a similar nature and gravity during that one-year period. Should such a subsequent offense occur, the suspended one-match ban would be enforced in addition to any new sanction imposed for the later misconduct.
6. In addition to the suspended match ban, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee imposed a fine of USD 40,000, allocating half of the amount to the violation of Article 14 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code and half to the violation of Article 66 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code. The U.S. Soccer Federation was declared jointly liable for payment of the fine pursuant to Article 6.5 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code.
7. Firstly, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee (as any other FIFA judicial body) is independent as provided by the FIFA Statutes and the FIFA Disciplinary Code. The chairpersons, deputy chairpersons and other members of the FIFA judicial bodies fulfill the independence criteria as defined in the FIFA Governance Regulations to ensure their impartiality.
8. Secondly, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee did not reverse the referee's on-field sending-off of Mr. Balogun but rather upheld the one-game suspension of Mr. Balogun as a result of the red card he was shown on July 1, 2026. The FIFA Disciplinary Committee only decided on the further disciplinary sanctions to be imposed following the red card.
9. Article 66.4 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code states that "a sending-off automatically incurs suspension from the subsequent match." Similarly, Article 10.5 of the Regulations for the FIFA World Cup 26™ provides that "if a player or team official is sent off as a result of a direct or indirect red card (second caution), they will automatically be suspended from their team's subsequent match. In addition, further sanctions may be imposed."
10. Consistent with Article 27 of the FDC, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee decided to suspend for a probationary period of one (1) year the implementation of the automatic match suspension it imposed under Article 66.4 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code and Article 10.5 of the Regulations for the FIFA World Cup 26™. The suspension of the implementation was decided after considering all of the specific circumstances surrounding the incident and the available evidence.
11. Under Article 27 of the FDC, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee has the discretion to suspend the implementation of any disciplinary measures so long as they do not relate to match manipulation, which, of course, did not occur here. It should be added that the use of Article 27 of the FDC is not unprecedented, as similar decisions have previously been issued during the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers.
12. There are no provisions in the FIFA Disciplinary Code and the Regulations for the FIFA World Cup 26™ that prohibit the FIFA Disciplinary Committee from exercising its discretion under Article 27 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code. The exercise of such discretion is fully consistent with the general guiding principles for determining the applicable disciplinary sanction pursuant to Article 25 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code.
13. Reviewing the legal consequences of red cards in football is nothing new in the modern game. For instance, in the majority of top-tier leagues belonging to UEFA-affiliated member associations, the overturning of red cards is a common disciplinary measure, yet this has never raised concerns about crossing any "red line." And again, it should be emphasized that in the decision under scrutiny, the red card was not overturned. Suspending the effects of a red card based on an explicit provision of the applicable regulations is a much more balanced measure.

Belgium is taking on the U.S. in a Round of 16 game Monday night, hours after the FIFA statement.