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FIFA's Disciplinary Committee has reinstated U.S.
men's national team striker Folarin Balogun for Monday's World Cup Round of 16 match against Belgium in Seattle, invoking Article 27 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code to suspend his automatic one-match ban on a one-year probationary basis.
The Royal Belgian Football Association called the ruling a direct contradiction of at least two regulatory provisions and said it is "considering all possible options." The Regulatory Conflict | Provision | Source | Position | |---|---|---| | Article 27, FIFA Disciplinary Code | FIFA Disciplinary Committee | Permits suspension of a previously imposed sanction; applied on 1-year probation | | Article 66.4, FIFA Disciplinary Code | RBFA | Red card automatically triggers a one-match suspension | | Article 10.5, FIFA WC 2026 Regulations | RBFA | Sending-off results in automatic suspension for team's next match | | Circular no.
16 (May 12, 2026) | FIFA, to all member associations | Explicitly reaffirmed automatic suspension rule before the tournament | FIFA applied Article 27 to lift the ban after Balogun was red-carded in the 64th minute of the group-stage match against Bosnia and Herzegovina, following a VAR review that upgraded his original challenge to a sending-off.
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