Folarin Balogun saw a straight red on July 1, 2026 for stepping on Bosnian defender Tarik Muharemovic. He was supposed to serve a one-match suspension.
But on July 5 FIFA put it on hold with a strange “probationary period”, and Balogun was cleared to play the round of 16 against Belgium in Seattle.
The Royal Belgian Football Association did not stay silent. It cited articles 66.4 and 10.5 of the World Cup regulations: “We are not defending the national team, we are defending football and integrity”.
They appealed. FIFA rejected the appeal on the same Monday as the match, arguing that Belgium “lacks standing”.
UEFA said FIFA “crossed a red line”. And to complete the scandal, it emerged that Donald Trump called Gianni Infantino before everything was reversed, and then called the move “brilliant”.