UEFA has condemned FIFA’s decision to allow United States striker Folarin Balogun to play against Belgium despite receiving a red card in the previous round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Balogun was sent off during the USA’s match against Bosnia and Herzegovina and was expected to serve the mandatory one-match suspension. However, FIFA announced on Sunday that the forward would instead be available for the Round of 32 encounter with Belgium.
The decision reportedly followed a phone conversation between United States President Donald Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
Reacting on Monday, UEFA said FIFA’s move undermines the integrity of the game and weakens confidence in the consistent application of football’s rules.
“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.
“Football, like any other sports, relies on rules, which are the basis for fair, honest and transparent competition. Sometimes rules are open to interpretation. In this case not.
“A minimum automatic suspension of one match following a red card is not a discretionary option and does not require the decision of a competent body to be enacted.
“It is a principle embedded in regulations, which cannot be made subject to exceptions, let alone in the middle of a tournament where several other players have been in the same situation and regularly served their suspension.
“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.
“Equally, such a decision creates a precedent in the ongoing tournament, where similar situations will now require an equal treatment, to the detriment of the competition.
“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.
“A tournament is never a pure standalone and, if the tournament in question is the World Cup, it has the power to drive positive or negative consequences on the game as a whole.
“We express our disbelief at such an unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable decision.”
