{"id":49050,"date":"2026-07-07T13:00:26","date_gmt":"2026-07-07T20:00:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/?p=49050"},"modified":"2026-07-07T13:00:27","modified_gmt":"2026-07-07T20:00:27","slug":"belgium-granted-right-to-appeal-fifas-balogun-decision","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/2026\/07\/07\/belgium-granted-right-to-appeal-fifas-balogun-decision\/","title":{"rendered":"Belgium granted right to appeal FIFA&#8217;s Balogun decision"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Sport<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Belgium have been granted the right to appeal FIFA&#8217;s decision to overturn US striker Folarin Balogun&#8217;s suspension, The Athletic reported on Monday, which reportedly took place after an intervention from US President Donald Trump.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Issued on:\u00a006\/07\/2026 &#8211; Modified:\u00a006\/07\/2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/author\/france-24\/\">FRANCE 24<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Video by: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/author\/selina-sykes\/\">Selina SYKES<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Trump confirms call at centre of red card controversy &#039;with massive political consequences&#039;\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/dgqdxbWpqBg?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/1091527a-791b-11f1-9767-005056a97e36\/w:1024\/p:16x9\/AP26183071417012.jpg\" alt=\"United States forward Folarin Balogun during the first half of the World Cup 2026 Round of 32 match between United States and Bosnia and Herzegovina in Santa Clara on July 1, 2026.  \"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Cover image: United States forward Folarin Balogun gestures after scoring a goal during the first half of the World Cup 2026 match between the US and Bosnia and Herzegovina in Santa Clara on July 1, 2026. \u00a9 Stephen Lam, San Francisco Chronicle via AP<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/belgium\/\">Belgium<\/a>&nbsp;\u2060have been granted the right to appeal&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/fifa\/\">FIFA<\/a>&#8216;s decision \u2060to&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tv-shows\/press-review\/20260706-us-team-s-folarin-balogun-free-to-play-after-trump-lobbies-fifa-to-remove-ban\">suspend the one-game ban \u200bto United States national team striker Folarin Balogun<\/a>, according to a report by The Athletic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Balogun had been slated to miss Monday&#8217;s round of 16 match after being issued a direct red \u200bcard, which carried an automatic one-match suspension. However, FIFA announced on Sunday that the one-game ban had been suspended.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The ruling triggered widespread debate as well as a statement from the Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) that said it was exploring &#8220;all potential options&#8221;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to The Athletic, the RBFA formally wrote to FIFA to appeal the matter, which was granted. The \u200bRBFA and US Soccer \u200cwere reportedly asked to make submissions by 5am PT\u00a0\u2013 exactly 12 hours before the scheduled start of the match at Seattle \u2060Stadium.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A member of the FIFA appeals committee has been selected to hear the case, according to the report. The member is not associated with a federation in either&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/uefa\/\">UEFA<\/a>&nbsp;or CONCAFAF.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Belgium have not been guaranteed that a ruling will be \u200cmade before Monday&#8217;s match.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Balogun is currently eligible to play and is expected to start. The 25-year-old has a team-best three goals \u2060during this&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/world-cup\/\">World Cup<\/a>, including what turned out to be the game-winning goal against&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/bosnia-and-herzegovina\/\">Bosnia and Herzegovina<\/a>&nbsp;last Wednesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, Balogun was later issued a red card following a VAR review. He was slated to have to sit out against Belgium until Sunday&#8217;s surprising ruling by FIFA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Read more<a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/sport\/20260705-fifa-lifts-balogun-world-cup-suspension-trump-call\">FIFA lifts Balogun&#8217;s World Cup suspension after Trump calls Infantino<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>US President&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/donald-trump\/\">Donald Trump<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/sport\/20260705-fifa-lifts-balogun-world-cup-suspension-trump-call\">&nbsp;reportedly \u200bcalled FIFA president Gianni Infantino<\/a>&nbsp;to ask him to review the matter, while secretary of commerce Howard Lutnick and other&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/white-house\/\">White House<\/a>&nbsp;\u200cofficials were also involved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Trump praised the decision in a Truth Social post, writing, &#8220;Thank you to FIFA for doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice!&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A red card or suspension officially cannot be appealed. FIFA, however, posted this message to its website Sunday about its use of the rule book in the case: &#8220;By operation of Article 27 FDC, the implementation \u200cof the automatic match suspension for USA player Folarin Balogun is suspended for a probationary period of one (1) year.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>US Soccer issued its own statement in response to the action: &#8220;We accept the decision of the Disciplinary Committee and are pleased that Folarin \u200bBalogun is eligible to complete tomorrow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Our full attention is focused on the Round of 16 match against Belgium in Seattle, and we look forward to the continued support of our amazing fans.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The RBFA countered with a lengthy statement from its football federation decrying FIFA&#8217;s decision and citing other pieces of the disciplinary code and competition \u200bregulations that made red-card decisions sound final.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;In order to safeguard the legitimate rights of all participating teams and to protect the fundamental principles of fair play in \u200bour sport, both at this FIFA World Cup and at future editions of the tournament,&#8221; the statement concluded, &#8220;the RBFA is \u200binvestigating all potential options.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>US team\u2019s Folarin Balogun free to play after Trump lobbies FIFA to remove ban<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/2dc9154c-790e-11f1-8f8d-005056a90284\/w:1024\/p:16x9\/ANGL260706-0921-Live-CS0921.jpg\" alt=\"US team\u2019s Folarin Balogun free to play after Trump lobbies FIFA to remove ban\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Cover image: \u00a9 France 24<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Belgium coach Rudi Garcia began his pre-match press conference Sunday afternoon by declaring he didn&#8217;t know the fifth of July had turned into April Fool&#8217;s Day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;A lot of our thoughts and opinions are in the release,&#8221; Garcia \u200bsaid. &#8220;We&#8217;re not defending the national team or the federation, we are defending football.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>European soccer body UEFA criticized FIFA for an \u201cincomprehensible and unjustifiable decision\u201d, saying&nbsp;in a statement that FIFA had \u201ccrossed a red line\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSometimes rules are open to interpretation. In this case not,\u201d UEFA said, adding, \u201cthe integrity of the game is at stake and the credibility of a competition is undermined.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Before the start of the World Cup last month,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/portugal\/\">Portugal<\/a>&nbsp;star&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/cristiano-ronaldo\/\">Cristiano Ronaldo<\/a>&nbsp;faced a three-match suspension, with the final two potentially keeping him out of group-stage matches. Instead, he sat one match, with the other two suspended and converted to a one-year probation period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>US coach Mauricio Pochettino defended FIFA&#8217;s decision to suspend Balogun&#8217;s ban.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;For me, there isn&#8217;t much debate here, though I do understand Belgium&#8217;s perspective and Rudi&#8217;s point of view,&#8221; Pochettino told reporters Sunday. &#8220;I understand why \u2060people conflate issues&nbsp;\u2013 people always do, because there&#8217;s often an agenda to mix things up&nbsp;\u2013 but in this case, I don&#8217;t think it&#8217;s right.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;If anyone was harmed in this whole situation, it was the United \u2060States. Can anyone justify the idea \u200bthat we weren&#8217;t punished? I mean, playing 30 or 35 minutes a man down in a World Cup knockout match? It&#8217;s not as if we&#8217;re benefiting. No, no. There&#8217;s no extraordinary gain we&#8217;re getting out of all this. I mean, ultimately, we aren&#8217;t victims, but we aren&#8217;t the villains of this story either.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>(FRANCE 24 with Reuters)<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sport Belgium have been granted the right to appeal FIFA&#8217;s decision to overturn US striker Folarin Balogun&#8217;s suspension, The Athletic reported on Monday, which reportedly took place after an intervention from US President Donald Trump. Issued on:\u00a006\/07\/2026 &#8211; Modified:\u00a006\/07\/2026 By: FRANCE 24 Video by: Selina SYKES Belgium&nbsp;\u2060have been granted the&#8230; <a class=\"continue-reading-link\" href=\"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/2026\/07\/07\/belgium-granted-right-to-appeal-fifas-balogun-decision\/\"> Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr; <\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1880],"tags":[2157,2158,2159],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49050"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=49050"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49050\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":49051,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49050\/revisions\/49051"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=49050"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=49050"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=49050"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}