Belgium in shock: FIFA ruling on Folarin Balogun case — RBFA says all options are being considered
The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) announced that it was surprised by the decision of the FIFA Legislative Committee: it questioned how a match reform should have been applied to Folarin Balogun before the USA-Belgium Round of 16 match. The RBFA said there was a logical contradiction to Article 66.4 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code and Article 10.5 of the World Cup 2026 Competitions and clarified that it was considering "all viable options" to resolve the issue.
In a sensational statement, the Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) said it understood the decision taken by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee as surprising. According to FIFA's decision, suspended United States player Folarin Balogun has been declared eligible to play for our next Round of 16 match — the USA–Belgium match on Monday, July 6 at 5:00 p.m. Seattle time.
In a statement, the RBFA explained: "Under Article 66.4 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, it is normal for a player to be automatically sent off when a red card is issued," they said, adding that "the same procedure has been applied to all red cards issued so far in this FIFA World Cup." In this case the player will be immediately banned from the subsequent match, the RBFA has put forward with its gravity.
At the same time, the RBFA stated that Article 10.5 of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Competition Regulations, released in succession, also confirms this provision: whoever is sent off due to a direct red card or a second yellow card (indirect red) will be automatically banned from their team's next match. In addition, that article states that accessory penalties may be imposed.
The RBFA also warned in their statement: "The same rule will be reiterated before every FIFA World Cup 2026 match coordination meeting and will be included in all FIFA World Cup 2026 workshop presentations." In this context, the RBFA has said directly that it is currently investigating all possible possibilities regarding the FIFA ruling.
At the end of the statement the RBFA wrote that post-opinion: Due to this ruling the RBFA will consider all appropriate options to protect the legal rights of all participating teams and to preserve the fundamental principles of refereeing in our sport both at this World Cup and in future editions.
As the scandal came to light ahead of the Round of 16 match between USA–Belgium, the debate over the match and the tournament's officiating procedures was intense. It remains to be seen what reactions will come in the coming hours based on the inconsistencies between the article's suggestions in the RBFA report and FIFA's ruling.