Belgium have confirmed they will appeal the decision to suspend USA striker Folarin Balogun’s one-match ban and outlined their unhappiness with FIFA’s lack of transparency.
FIFA yesterday invoked Article 27 of its disciplinary code to downgrade Balogun’s sanction, handed out following the player’s red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina for a studs up challenge on Tarik Muharemovic, opting instead to suspend the punishment for 12 months.
It was an unprecedented move at a World Cup and, as it stands, means Balogun can play for the USA against Belgium in their round-of-16 clash tonight.
Reports suggest FIFA was lobbied by US president Donald Trump, a friend of Gianni Infantino, to use Article 27 and make Balogun available. Trump later thanked FIFA for “reversing a great injustice” in a post on Truth Social.
The Belgian Football Association (RBFA) immediately outlined their dissatisfaction and confirmed it was examining its options.
That has now been formalised in the way of an appeal, although that has been made more complicated by FIFA’s unwillingness to co-operate with their own process.
Belgium unhappy at FIFA actions
An RBFA statement read: “After learning through media reports of FIFA’s decision to lift the automatic suspension of player Balogun, the RBFA sent a letter to FIFA requesting a copy of the decision, an explanation of the process that had been followed, and setting out its position regarding the applicable regulations.
“As its only response, FIFA sent a letter to the RBFA stating that it considered this correspondence to constitute an appeal, that a judge had been appointed, and that the RBFA had only a few hours to complete that appeal. No information whatsoever was provided by FIFA.
“For an appeal to be admissible, FIFA’s own regulations state that the reasoned decision must first have been communicated to the appellant. While the RBFA was merely seeking legitimate explanations, FIFA itself created an appeal and immediately ensured that it would be declared inadmissible.”
It continued: “All of this occurred while FIFA simultaneously refused to respond to the RBFA’s legitimate requests. Furthermore, during the match coordination meeting, FIFA deliberately removed the section concerning the automatic suspension of players from its presentation. This topic had nonetheless been part of all such meetings before each of the previous four matches. The RBFA questioned FIFA, both orally and in writing, about the reasons for this change, yet once again received no response.
“To be clear, as of this moment, the RBFA has still not received any decision or any explanation from FIFA regarding this matter. It therefore has no alternative but to challenge the player’s eligibility for the upcoming match.
“Regardless of the sporting outcome of this match, the RBFA is deeply concerned by the course of events and will continue to fight in the coming hours, days and months in defence of the fundamental principles of ethics, fair competition, and the interests of football as a whole.”
UEFA slam FIFA for ‘unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable decision’
UEFA took a dim view of FIFA’s decision and launched an extraordinary attack on the world game’s governing body.
A statement read: ”Yesterday’s decision to suspend for a probationary period of a year the implementation of the one-match automatic suspension following the red card issued to the player Folarin Balogun crossed a red line.
“Football, like any other sports, relies on rules, which are the basis for fair, honest and transparent competition. Sometimes rules are open to interpretation. In this case not. A minimum automatic suspension of one match following a red card is not a discretionary option and does not require the decision of a competent body to be enacted. 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. Equally, such decision creates a precedent in the ongoing tournament, where similar situations will now require an equal treatment, to the detriment of the competition.
“Football 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.
“We express our disbelief at such an unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable decision.”
FIFA acted similarly with Ronaldo decision prior to World Cup
It is not the first time FIFA has tweaked the rules regarding suspensions.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s three-game ban, incurred after being sent-off playing for Portugal against the Republic of Ireland in the qualifiers, was reduced to one, enabling the superstar to play in their World Cup group stage games.
Qatar midfielder Assim Madibo also saw his suspension altered, however, his was increased. Madibo was sent off in the game with Canada for a challenge that broke the leg of Ismael Kone and FIFA upgraded the standard one-match suspension to five.
Blatter weighs in on FIFA and Infantino
Even disgraced former FIFA president Sepp Blatter criticised the organisation he used to lead.
Blatter, whose 17-year spell as president ended in 2015 after a corruption scandal, wrote on X: “Red cards are not overturned by political phone calls. They are overturned by rules, evidence and independent bodies. If a US President intervenes with the FIFA President — and a player is suddenly cleared before a World Cup knockout match — the question is unavoidable: Quo vadis, FIFA? Football must never become a playground for political power.”
