Belgium FA release ‘astonished’ statement on Folarin Balogun red card and hint at legal action

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The Belgian FA has responded to Folarin Balogun’s red card suspension being overturned, stating they are “astonished” and hinting at potential legal action.

Balogun was set to miss the round of 16 clash against Belgium after he was shown a red card in the round of 32 win over Bosnia & Herzegovina following a VAR review.

However, he will now be available for Mauricio Pochettino’s side after the one-match ban was “suspended for one year” following a review, FIFA said in a statement.

Belgian FA Folarin Balogun statement in full

Now, the Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) has hit out at FIFA’s decision on the eve of their game against the USMNT, saying they will “investigate all potential options.”

The statement reads: “FIFA bases its decision on Article 27 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code. This provision states that the FIFA Disciplinary Committee may decide to suspend the enforcement of a previously imposed disciplinary sanction.

“However, Article 66.4 of the same FIFA Disciplinary Code clearly provides that a red card (sending-off) automatically results in a suspension for the team’s next match, as has been the case for all previous red cards issued during this FIFA World Cup.

“Furthermore, and irrespective of the above, the decision is in direct contradiction with the provisions of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Competition Regulations, as set out in Article 10.5: If a player or team official is sent off as a result of a direct or indirect red card (second caution), they will automatically be suspended from their team’s subsequent match. In addition, further sanctions may be imposed.

“The automatic nature of such a suspension was also explicitly reaffirmed in FIFA World Cup 2026 Circular No. 16, which was distributed to all participating member associations on 12 May 2026.

“The same rule is reiterated at every FIFA World Cup 2026 Match Coordination Meeting prior to each match and is included in all FIFA World Cup 2026 workshop presentations.

“In order to safeguard the legitimate rights of all participating teams and to protect the fundamental principles of fair play in our sport, both at this FIFA World Cup and at future editions of the tournament, the RBFA is investigating all potential options.”