Folarin Balogun of the United States celebrates scoring his team’s first goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 match between USA and Bosnia and Herzegovina at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium on July 01, 2026 in Santa Clara, California. Jamie Squire/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by JAMIE SQUIRE / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)
UEFA has strongly criticised FIFA for suspending the one-match ban imposed on United States forward Folarin Balogun, describing the decision as one that has “crossed a red line.”
The governing body issued the statement on Monday after FIFA cleared Balogun to feature in the USA’s World Cup Round of 16 clash against Belgium despite his straight red card against Bosnia-Herzegovina.
“Yesterday’s decision to suspend for a probationary period of a year the implementation of the one-match automatic suspension following the red card issued to the player Folarin Balogun crossed a red line,” UEFA said.
It added: “Football, like any other sport, relies on rules, which are the basis for fair, honest, and transparent competition. Sometimes rules are open to interpretation. In this case not.”
UEFA further warned that the unprecedented move could undermine confidence in football, saying, “Football is the most loved sport in the world because it is a beautiful game and is trusted because it is played everywhere with the same laws,” before expressing its “disbelief at such an unprecedented, incomprehensible, and unjustifiable decision.”
Balogun had been due to miss the Belgium encounter after receiving an automatic one-match suspension for a straight red card during the USA’s 2-0 victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina. Reports said the reversal came after intervention by Donald Trump, who contacted FIFA President Gianni Infantino, while US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also publicly urged FIFA to overturn the punishment.
Belgium coach Rudi Garcia mocked the decision, saying, “I didn’t know that at the FIFA World Cup, the 5th of July is now the 1st of April and that it’s April Fool’s Day.”
