The Belgian Football Association has lodged an appeal with FIFA's Appeal Committee over the decision to grant US striker Folarin Balogun permission to play against the Red Devils despite a red card.
The run-up to the match between the USA and Belgium is set to be a frantic few hours.
Belgium had until 05:00 local time (14:00 Belgian time) to make its case in the Balogun affair. Earlier, FIFA decided to give Balogun permission to play in the round-of-16 match against the Red Devils on Tuesday after all, despite having received a red card in a previous match.
Around 14:30 on Monday afternoon, the Belgian Football Association (KBVB) published a new statement on its website, confirming that it had lodged a formal appeal against Balogun's eligibility to play, and accusing FIFA of sabotaging the appeal procedure.
They stressed that they are "deeply concerned about the way matters are being handled".
Belgium had explicitly requested access to the referee's report from the USA v Bosnia match, during which the red card was issued. However, this has reportedly not yet been provided.
FIFA has appointed an arbitrator to rule on the matter, but it will be a race against time – especially as the Belgian Football Association has still not received FIFA’s official decision or reasoning, making it difficult to formulate a case.
What has happened?
During the World Cup round-of-32 match between the US and Bosnia-Herzegovina (2-0) last Wednesday, US striker Balogun received a red card for serious foul play – meaning he would be suspended for the next game against Belgium.
However, US President Trump called FIFA President Infantino last Wednesday to ask for a review of Balogun's suspension, The New York Times reported. Following the phone call, FIFA on Sunday declared Balogun eligible to play in the match against the Belgians after all.
Trump has since responded to the news himself on his platform, Truth Social. "Thank you to FIFA for doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice!"
The American president gets along particularly well with FIFA President Gianni Infantino, but is conspicuously absent from this World Cup. The White House shared Trump's message on social media with the caption "USA-USA-USA".
On Monday afternoon, Trump himself confirmed that he personally intervened in the case, saying that he spoke to Infantino about the red card for Balogun. Trump said that he felt it was unfair for FIFA to suspend one of the best American players, and that he explicitly asked FIFA to review the decision.
While he said that he did not dictate to FIFA what the decision should be, he added that he considers it "the right one". Until now, his involvement had been based solely on anonymous sources, but he has now openly acknowledged his intervention.
Speaking exclusively to The Brussels Times, US Ambassador to Belgium Bill White dismissed suggestions that Trump meddled in FIFA's decision to allow Balogun to play. "President Trump would never interfere with the inner workings of FIFA," White said.
Belgium's head coach Rudi Garcia pictured during a press conference of Belgian national soccer team Red Devils, on Sunday 05 July 2026 in Lumen Field stadium in Seattle, USA. Credit: Belga/Bruno Fahy
The Belgian Football Association said it was "stunned" by FIFA's decision. "This decision is contrary to the competition regulations."
In the meantime, Belgium's manager Rudi Garcia had strong words during his press conference in Seattle on Sunday following FIFA's decision.
"I didn't know that 5 July here is the same as 1 April (April Fool's Day) in Europe. That's new to me," said Garcia.
"Otherwise, I refer to the statement from the Belgian Football Association (KBVB). The Belgian football federation defends football, integrity, and ethics," he said. "To my knowledge, this is the first time such a decision has been made."
He added: "But I am a coach and want to focus on the game. For me, only my team matters—winning and reaching the quarterfinals. The fact that Balogun starts does not change anything for me. 0%."
'Football is based on rules'
Belgium's Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot (Les Engagés) has also raised questions about FIFA's decision to overturn Balogun's suspension.
'If it really was a phone call that led to this incomprehensible decision, that would amount to undermining the most basic rules of football and sport," Prévot told Politico.
He added that this would raise questions about FIFA's ability to "credibly advocate fair play".
Prévot, who has formerly been a football referee himself, has always been "committed to upholding the rules and ensuring decisions are fair", he said. "This decision clearly raises many questions."
'Crossed a red line'
The European football governing body UEFA also responded to FIFA's decision, stating that FIFA had "crossed a red line" on Monday. They called the decision "unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable."
"Football, like any other sport, relies on rules, which are the basis for fair, honest and transparent competition," UEFA stated in a release. "Sometimes rules are open to interpretation. In this case not."
They stressed that an automatic suspension of at least one match following a red card is "not a discretionary option and does not require the decision of a competent body to be enacted."
Instead, they said, it is "a principle embedded in regulations, which cannot be made subject to exceptions, let alone in the middle of a tournament where several other players have been in the same situation and regularly served their suspension."
"When the certainty of rules is no longer guaranteed by its guardians, the integrity of the game is at stake, and the credibility of a competition is undermined," the statement said. "Equally, such a decision creates a precedent in the ongoing tournament, where similar situations will now require equal treatment, to the detriment of the competition."
Football, they said, is "the most loved sport in the world because it is a beautiful game and is trusted because it is played everywhere with the same laws".
"A tournament is never a pure standalone and, if the tournament in question is the World Cup, it has the power to drive positive or negative consequences on the game as a whole."
Asked about FIFA's decision in the European Commission press briefing on Monday, spokesperson Eva Hrncirova said that the Commission respects the right of sports federations to decide on the criteria under which participants compete.
"Any such decision should obviously be made on the basis of a set of objective and transparent criteria," she said. "So, more generally, we support the principle of fair play and transparent competition."
This article has been updated to include statements from US Ambassador to Belgium Bill White, UEFA, Belgium's Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot, the Belgian Football Association and the European Commission.
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