United States head coach Mauricio Pochettino has welcomed FIFA's decision to suspend the automatic one-match ban imposed on Folarin Balogun, making him available for the team's FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 clash against Belgium, according to Reuters.
Pochettino Praises Integrity of Decision
Speaking ahead of the knockout fixture, Pochettino said the decision reflected fairness and integrity in the sport. "I think everyone who really looked at the sport and trusts in ethics and integrity should celebrate that decision," Pochettino told reporters, as quoted by Reuters.
The United States coach maintained that his side had already paid the price for what he believed was an incorrect sending-off during the team's previous match against Bosnia and Herzegovina. "We were punished enough against Bosnia and Herzegovina, playing with 10 men for 35 minutes after a decision that was completely unfair," he said, as quoted by Reuters.
FIFA's Disciplinary Committee Ruling
Earlier, FIFA announced that the implementation of Balogun's automatic one-match suspension had been suspended under Article 27 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code. In its statement, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee said, "By operation of Article 27 FDC, the implementation of the automatic match suspension for USA player Folarin Balogun is suspended for a probationary period of one (1) year."
Balogun had been shown a red card in the 64th minute of the United States' 2-0 Round of 32 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina. Despite playing with 10 men, the co-hosts secured progression to the last 16, with Balogun having already scored three goals during the tournament.
Belgian Federation Opposes Ruling
The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) has expressed strong opposition to FIFA's decision, describing the ruling as surprising and saying it is exploring all possible avenues to protect its interests. In an official statement issued on Sunday, the RBFA said it was "astonished by FIFA's decision to declare suspended United States player Folarin Balogun eligible to play in the USA-Belgium match" and questioned the legal basis for the ruling.
While acknowledging that FIFA had relied on Article 27 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, the Belgian federation argued that other regulations clearly mandate an automatic suspension following a red card. The statement said, "Article 66.4 of the same FIFA Disciplinary Code clearly provides that a red card (sending-off) automatically results in a suspension for the team's next match, as has been the case for all previous red cards issued during this FIFA World Cup."
