UEFA Slams FIFA Over Balogun Ban Reversal Ahead of Belgium Clash
European football’s governing body, UEFA, has strongly criticised FIFA after the world football body decided not to enforce Folarin Balogun’s automatic suspension at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The decision means United States striker Folarin Balogun will be available for his country’s last-16 match against Belgium despite receiving a red card in the previous round against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
UEFA described FIFA’s decision as “unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable”, insisting that automatic suspensions following red cards are a fundamental part of football regulations.
In a strongly-worded statement, UEFA said FIFA had “crossed a red line” by intervening in what should have been an automatic disciplinary process.
“An automatic one-match suspension is not a discretionary option,” UEFA said. “It is a principle embedded in regulations. When the certainty of rules is no longer guaranteed by its guardians, the integrity of the game is at stake and the credibility of a competition is undermined.”
Balogun, 25, is the United States’ leading scorer at the tournament. Under normal circumstances, he would have missed the knockout match against Belgium after being sent off in the victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina.
However, FIFA opted not to apply the automatic ban, a move that has sparked widespread criticism across the football world.
Reports claimed that the decision followed a telephone conversation between Donald Trump and Gianni Infantino on Thursday regarding Balogun’s suspension.
On Sunday, President Trump publicly thanked FIFA for what he called “reversing a great injustice”.
The Royal Belgian Football Association reacted angrily, announcing that it would challenge Balogun’s eligibility to play in the upcoming match.
Belgium’s Foreign Minister, Maxime Prevot, also criticised the decision, saying: “If a phone call is really the reason for this incomprehensible decision, it would be a blatant violation of the most basic rules of football and sport.”
Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter also weighed in on the controversy, warning that “football must never become a playground for political power”.
UEFA further argued that FIFA’s decision could create problems for the rest of the tournament, as other players in similar situations may now expect the same treatment.
“Such a decision creates a precedent in the ongoing tournament, where similar situations will now require equal treatment, to the detriment of the competition,” UEFA added.
The criticism extended beyond football authorities. The European Union’s commissioner for sport, Glenn Micallef, stressed that sporting decisions should remain independent of political influence.
“Decisions on sport belong to sporting bodies, not politicians,” he wrote on social media. “Influencing sporting decisions would undermine the autonomy of sport.”
The latest dispute adds to growing tensions between UEFA and FIFA in recent months. One recent disagreement involved Somali referee Omar Artan, who was unable to enter the United States to officiate at the World Cup before being appointed by UEFA to referee the UEFA Super Cup match between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa on 12 August.
With the United States preparing to face Belgium, FIFA’s decision over Balogun’s suspension is likely to remain one of the most controversial moments of the tournament so far.
