With hours remaining until its round of 16 World Cup match, Belgium has been permitted to appeal FIFA’s reversal of U.S. striker Folarin Balogun’s suspension. Both the Belgian soccer federation and U.S. Soccer were instructed to present their cases to the FIFA appeals committee by 8 a.m. ET on the morning of July 6, as reported by The Athletic.
A decision may be reached before the match starts at 8 p.m. ET, but no guarantee was provided to Belgium regarding the timing of the ruling. Balogun had initially received a red card during the USA’s match against Bosnia and Herzegovina. President Donald Trump appealed to FIFA president Gianni Infantino, resulting in the suspension being overturned on Sunday.
The Belgian federation expressed its surprise over FIFA’s choice to delay the ban for a year. Belgium’s coach, Rudi Garcia, also voiced his dissatisfaction with FIFA’s decision during a media session. Through FIFA’s interpreting app, Garcia remarked, “I thought the World Cup was in July, not April. It’s now April Fools. We’re not defending the national team or the federation. We’re defending football.”
The Athletic earlier indicated that Belgium had sought a detailed explanation for the reversal, which was not disclosed publicly. FIFA’s disciplinary committee isn’t obligated to provide that information. Balogun, who has scored three goals, stands as the USA’s top scorer in this year’s World Cup. His inclusion significantly enhances the USA’s effort to advance to the quarterfinals.