FIFA Rejects Belgium's Appeal in Balogan Ban Case
FIFA rejected Belgium's appeal challenging American striker Folarin Balogan's eligibility to play in their Round of 16 matchup, ruling the Belgian Football Association lacks standing since it was not a party to his original red card case.
FIFA has rejected an appeal from the Belgian Football Association challenging the suspension of American striker Folarin Balogan's red card ban, ruling that Belgium is not a direct party to the case.
Balogan received a straight red card in the 2026 World Cup Round of 32 match between the United States and Bosnia, after the referee reviewed VAR footage and determined his collision with Tarik Muharemovic constituted dangerous play. The 25-year-old would normally have faced a one-match ban.
However, FIFA subsequently announced that Balogan's suspension would be suspended in favor of a one-year conditional penalty instead, allowing the striker to return for the Round of 16 match between the United States and Belgium on July 6.
The Belgian Football Association stated it had received no explanation from FIFA regarding Balogan's eligibility to play and filed a protest in response. FIFA has now formally rejected the appeal.
In its statement, FIFA's Appeals Committee said: "The FIFA Appeals Committee considers that the request submitted by the Belgian Football Association cannot be accepted, as Belgium was not a party to the disciplinary proceedings. For this reason, they have no right to appeal the decision."
