The Belgian Football Federation (RBFA) said it was “surprised” by FIFA’s controversial decision to suspend a one-match red card suspension for American striker Folarin Balogun and said it was “considering all options” to protect the integrity of the sport.
The World Cup was thrown into chaos on Sunday after FIFA suspended the red card given to Balogun ahead of the hosts’ game against Belgium. It was a bombshell measure welcomed by US President Donald Trump but condemned by Belgian officials.
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The unusual FIFA ruling leaves Balogun free to play for the United States in Monday’s match against Belgium in Seattle for a spot in the quarterfinals.
The Royal Belgian Football Association said it was “examining all possible options” to “protect the legitimate rights of all participating teams and uphold the fundamental principles of fair play in our sport.”
Belgium coach Rudi Garcia added at a press conference: “July 5th is now April 1st in the FIFA World Cup, so I didn’t know that it was April Fool’s Day.”
“Many of our thoughts and opinions are included in this release,” Garcia said.
“We are not defending national teams or federations, we are defending football.”
Balogun was scheduled to miss Monday’s round-of-16 game against Belgium after receiving a straight red card after undergoing a video review for stepping on the foot of a Bosnian defender during the U.S.’s 2-0 Round of 32 win.
Under FIFA rules, a straight red card results in an automatic one-match suspension, which cannot be challenged by the player’s team.
However, FIFA announced on Sunday that the suspension would be suspended for one year, a surprising move without providing specifics.
It will be the first time since the yellow and red card rules were introduced at the 1970 World Cup that a red carded player has been allowed to play in his team’s next match.
“We are not bad people.”
Leading scorer Balogun has been key to America’s rise in this tournament, scoring three goals, and his absence against Belgium would have been a blow to Seattle’s team.
The stakes are high for the co-hosts, and a strong start to the tournament has raised American expectations to feverish levels, with the aim of at least making it to the quarterfinals. The last time the United States reached this quarter was in 2002.
Balogun himself said on Friday that he had “no choice but to accept” the red card suspension.
But the 25-year-old celebrated FIFA’s U-turn with an Instagram post of himself wearing a US team jersey and accompanying Michael Jackson’s Bad as audio.
U.S. players and officials welcomed the news, which they received on their way to training Sunday morning.
“I think a lot of us thought it was AI at first,” defender Chris Richards said. “I think we were really excited because we found out through social media. It was cool. There were a lot of question marks, but overall we were very, very happy and excited.”
Forward Christian Pulisic added: “It feels right.” “I’m really excited for him to get this opportunity. It’s great to see the smile on his face and give us some energy tomorrow.”
Manager Mauricio Pochettino said: “I shouldn’t have given him a red card, so it was a just decision,” adding that the penalty was “too big” for an unintentional foul.
“I’m not saying we’re victims, but we’re not the bad guys or the despicable people here,” he said.
FIFA’s decision was ‘a little surprising’
In a statement, FIFA pointed to Article 27 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, which allows for “suspension for a one-year trial period.”
According to the newspaper, Balogun will only be suspended if he commits a similar offense next year.
There is some precedent for this decision.
Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, who was suspended for three games after injuring his elbow during qualifying last year, has now been suspended for two games.
The move, which allowed Ronaldo to play in Portugal’s World Cup opener, drew criticism at the time.
Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois said he was “a little surprised” that Balogun was cleared to play the day before the match.
“If I had done it earlier, I probably would have been more prepared mentally,” he said.
FIFA’s decision sparked a social media storm, with mixed reactions to the suspension.
Democratic Republic of Congo footballer Yannick Bolasie expressed regret over the decision, saying the reaction to FIFA’s U-turn would have been completely different had it been carried out at the African Cup of Nations.
