Disciplinary Controversy
FIFA’s decision to suspend Folarin Balogun’s red card ban has created one of the biggest controversies of the 2026 World Cup.
Balogun received a red card during the United States’ 2-0 Round of 32 win against Bosnia and Herzegovina after stepping on the ankle of Tarik Muharemovic. A red card usually means an automatic one-match suspension, which would have ruled him out of the USA’s Round of 16 match against Belgium.
However, FIFA later suspended the punishment after U.S. President Donald Trump asked FIFA President Gianni Infantino to review the decision. This allowed Balogun, who is the United States’ top scorer at the tournament with three goals, to be available for the Belgium match.
The decision quickly led to strong criticism from Belgium’s football association, UEFA, former FIFA president Sepp Blatter, coaches, former players, and football pundits. Critics argued that FIFA’s move damaged the integrity of the tournament and raised questions about political influence in football decisions.
The Royal Belgian Football Association said it was “astonished” by the decision and later tried to challenge FIFA’s ruling. UEFA also criticized the move, calling it “unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable.”
FIFA pointed to Article 27 of its Disciplinary Code, which allows a disciplinary body to suspend the enforcement of a sanction. However, Belgium argued that other FIFA rules clearly state that a red card must lead to an automatic suspension for the next match.
Trump confirmed that he spoke with Infantino about the incident, saying he believed Balogun’s red card was unfair. Infantino said he regularly speaks with government leaders and football stakeholders, but claimed that FIFA’s independent disciplinary bodies were responsible for the decision.
Belgium’s appeal was later rejected by FIFA as “inadmissible,” meaning the suspension of Balogun’s ban remained in place.
The controversy has now become one of the defining stories of the knockout stage, with many in football asking whether FIFA has set a dangerous precedent for future disciplinary decisions.