Belgium has vowed to “defend football” after FIFA’s controversial decision to lift the automatic one-match ban on US striker Folarin Balogun drew claims of unfairness and renewed attention on reports that President Donald Trump spoke with FIFA President Gianni Infantino before the ruling, Forbes reported Monday.
Belgium will play the United States in a FIFA World Cup Round of 16 match on Monday, July 6, at 8pm ET (0000 GMT Tuesday), which is 1am WAT on Tuesday, at Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington. The winner will reach the quarter-finals.
The decision came a day before the match and has been criticised by Belgian officials, rival coaches and leading football figures, who questioned both its timing and how it was reached.
According to Forbes, the Royal Belgian Football Association said it was “astonished” by FIFA’s decision, saying the disciplinary code clearly states that a red card brings an automatic suspension for the next match, “as has been the case for all previous red cards issued during this FIFA World Cup.”
The federation said it is exploring “all potential options” to protect the “legitimate rights” of every team and uphold the “principles of fair play.”
Belgium coach Rudi Garcia mocked the ruling, saying he did not know July 5 at the World Cup was “April Fool’s Day.” He added that Belgium would not only represent the country and its football federation but would also be “defending football with its ethics and integrity.”
Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois said the squad was surprised by the late decision but stressed “nothing changes” because the team remains focused on the game.
The issue has also drawn reactions outside Belgium. England manager Thomas Tuchel questioned FIFA after England beat Mexico 3-2 to reach the quarter-finals without suspended defender Jarell Quansah.
He said, “Who overturns this decision and when and on what grounds? And how far does this go now? It is just strange for me.”
Asked if England should seek President Trump’s help over Quansah’s ban, Tuchel smiled and replied: “Maybe, that’s a good starting point.”
Former England captain Wayne Rooney called the ruling “an absolute disgrace. Infantino should be ashamed of this. The sportsmanship of the game is in question here.”
Former France star Thierry Henry told Fox Sports the late decision likely hurt Belgium’s preparations. He said it must have affected the team’s “spirit a tiny bit” after preparing to face the US a “certain way.” Although Henry believed Balogun did not deserve a red card, he “criticized FIFA for the length of time it took to reach its final decision, arguing that the delayed ruling created unnecessary uncertainty ahead of one of the tournament’s biggest knockout matches.”
