Balogan FREE

Obviously in the small print that the 1 match suspension does not apply to USA Players .

I take it this will set a precedent for red cards now....

Many have spent a lot of time accusing last night's ref as being corrupt, this would be a better decision to apply that moniker too, total joke, just like the same thing allowing Ronaldo to play and to ignore Messi's foul that was a straight red.

oh and now Trump tweeting thanking Fifa.

Infantino is as shameless as Trump.

I can't wait for the inevitable USA exit and I hope it is an humiliating one.

Any other country that red would have stood 1.01.

The further the USA go the more $$$ for FIFA.

Total nonsence.
Getting a red no deterrent now,just use this an example if you
happen to get sent off and your team gets through.

12 Red cards so far at the world cup its just a coincidence the only 1 suspended is a USA Player .

We all knew FIFA were corrupt.

Belguim aren't taking this lying down

“The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) is astonished by FIFA's decision to declare suspended United States player Folarin Balogun eligible to play in the USA–Belgium match on Monday, 6 July at 5:00 p.m. (Seattle time).
FIFA bases its decision on Article 27 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code.

This provision states that the FIFA Disciplinary Committee may decide to suspend the enforcement of a previously imposed disciplinary sanction.
However, 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.
Furthermore, and irrespective of the above, the decision is in direct contradiction with the provisions of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Competition Regulations, as set out in Article 10.5:
"If a player or team official is sent off as a result of a direct or indirect red card (second caution), they will automatically be suspended from their team's subsequent match. In addition, further sanctions may be imposed.”
The automatic nature of such a suspension was also explicitly reaffirmed in FIFA World Cup 2026 Circular No. 16, which was distributed to all participating member associations on 12 May 2026.
The same rule is reiterated at every FIFA World Cup 2026 Match Coordination Meeting prior to each match and is included in all FIFA World Cup 2026 workshop presentations.

In order to safeguard the legitimate rights of all participating teams and to protect the fundamental principles of fair play in our sport, both at this FIFA World Cup and at future editions of the tournament, the RBFA is investigating all potential options.”

Shocking, Between that lunatic with the whistle last night and now this ..

Feel sorry for the ref for the USA v Belgium game, is he going to wake up to a horses head in his bed as a warning? Does Balogan really want to play when his fellow professionals who got reds aren't? Does he want to be a pariah? Has such a knock on effect, a decision made without thinking through the consequences? Has Trump done this before

Elect a corrupt clown... Expect a corrupt circus.


USA are 22's to reach the final, based on the circus, could be value?

Poch knows the score, might he have the balls to not play him, yeah alienate himself to the states but endear himself to the rest of the footballing world, he wouldn't want to hang around in the states anyway, he's a serious manager.

Joe would have sorted it all out , sharp as a tack Wor Joe

Course Balogun is going to want to play, he would not have given one iota of a thought to any other player who's been red carded.

It does however mean that US team will have lost a lot of neutral fans and that feel good factor they carried with them up until now, everyone knows they've made this decision to help f1x the result, there's no other way of looking at it. One of the biggest scandals in World Cup history, overturning a red card during the tournament to help the host nation.

Hope Belgium pump them now.

Kind Regardss

Nice felony turnover on the offensive roster there

Belgium should be purely shouting very loud, about how all their preparation based on opponents, is now in the bin.

this still isn't as bad as playing bonfckingjovi all the time.

Jul 5, 2026 -- 8:54PM, the old nanny ;-) wrote:

Joe would have sorted it all out , sharp as a tack Wor Joe

I'll sort you out in a minute, yah wee pr....ck

Jul 5, 2026 -- 8:55PM, mesmerised wrote:

Course Balogun is going to want to play, he would not have given one iota of a thought to any other player who's been red carded.It does however mean that US team will have lost a lot of neutral fans and that feel good factor they carried with them up until now, everyone knows they've made this decision to help f1x the result, there's no other way of looking at it. One of the biggest scandals in World Cup history, overturning a red card during the tournament to help the host nation. Hope Belgium pump them now.Kind Regardss

Balogun will not want to be the centre of attention, I guarantee it.......

Jeez - Rio Ferdinand tweeting with applauding FIFA emojis.

Can he sink any lower?

Norway obviously good sports, as Brazil are not playing with a functional midfield when out of possession they are choosing not to either.

Norway obviously not interested in moving it quickly

wrong fred

was hoping for a few posts before you realised

I was wondering where everyone had gone

White House lobbied Fifa to lift Folarin Balogun suspension for World Cup game v Belgium

The White House lobbied Fifa to lift the US striker Folarin Balogun’s one-game ban for a red card received in the team’s win over Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Guardian understands, resulting in Sunday’s stunning announcement that he would be available for the cohosts’ last-16 clash against Belgium in Seattle on Monday night.

The decision gives the US a huge boost on the field as they attempt to reach the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time since 2002. Balogun has been a constant threat for the US so far this tournament, and has scored three goals in three starts.

Fifa has been approached for comment. Donald Trump thanked football’s world governing body for suspending the red card. “Thank you to Fifa for doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice!” President Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

Fifa’s disciplinary committee said it made the decision in line with Article 27 of the Fifa disciplinary code, which allows it to suspend red cards so long as the discipline is not realted to match-fixing. Balogun will be on a probationary period of one year, meaning the red card technically still remains on his record. If, during that year, Balogun commits what the code refers to as “another infringement of a similar nature and gravity”, the striker will serve his one-game ban.

Anybody that didn't hate the USA football team certainly do now. Shall we just award it to them now as what else does the baldchild have up his sleeve? If this player does anything significant then wait for the court case to nullify the whole shebang to be declared null. Like most legal things with Trump a first year legal student should be able to argue this out!

You'd think that Infantino, even him, would anticipate the backlash, he thinks that the love of the game by everyone means that we'll just put up with anything they choose to do but one day there will be a reckoning, I wish that all the European teams for example refused to compete to force change.

it's about time UEFA and CONMEBOL dropped out of FIFA, got together and had their own tournament. FIFA would fall apart without Europe and South America, then invite the other federations to join in with the new arrangement

Agreed, it winds me up when there is this collective shrug of the shoulders, do something about it, it's easy, the fans would be with you

I've said these plenty of times before, that it's UEFA that really has the power, if they pulled out of a World Cup, there is no World Cup as it'd have no value without the European countries.

Infantino feels like he is untouchable because of the way in which the voting process works, that's why in part, he's expanded the World Cup, giving more countries more places and in turn more votes for him from each region keeping himself in power as they keep voting for him.

CONMEBOL are part of the problem, the way it works in South American qualifying means it's virtually impossible for the big nations not to make it, 6 automatic spots, 7th place in play off, only 10 sides. Whereas in Europe Italy miss out of their third World Cup.

Yep Europe drop out to force the issue, the problem like all things is that you've got to get everyone together to sign up to it.

You’ve really got to feel for Paraguay. If they knew before playing France that FIFA could suspend any bans for red cards in the next round, they might not have held back quite so much from picking up any bookings

They should go the whole hog and give them a 2 goal start in every match

2 goal start and pelanty each hydration break.

Maybe worth backing USA if they lose when they hit 1000 on the outright, as Trump might be able to get the result overturned.

UEFA calling them out for exactly what this is.'Where is this going? , football must never become a playground for political power'

Trump to oversee VAR decisions

UEFA should break away from FIFA.

Without Europe the World Cup would be nothing.

wait til Trump finds out he's black.

Didn't CR7 have a 3 match ban reduced to 1 match by UEFA?

If Kane was done like that, Kinky 2 tier Starmer would not have done it. Not saying its right, however at least DT used his power.

Good man is Starmer, an Arsenal fan, can't be all bad.

Oh no I did not realise you were a gooner and I have been friendly on a few your posts.

it's a joke, everyone knows I'm a hardcore tottenham fan

Another fat envelope to add to Infantinos collection .

Every time Infantino opens his mouth and talks about "integrity", it makes me want to punch him. If Sepp Blatter criticizes you, you really must be getting it wrong.

Jul 6, 2026 -- 5:33PM, Des Pond wrote:

Every time Infantino opens his mouth and talks about "integrity", it makes me want to punch him. If Sepp Blatter criticizes you, you really must be getting it wrong.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pqO6tK8_Wg   Sepp Blatterand the fake money incident.

oh and now the ref is ' a little suspect '. No doubt FIFA will rush to defend the ref.

There is an independent hearing due to take place. Are they going to come to a verdict in the next 5 or 6 hours.

This is crazy.

I'm no fan of the Belgium team, as is obvious from my previous posts, but I hope they win tonight. I just want Trump and Infantino's egregious little pact to fail.

Des stop using long words on here, had to check in the dictionary that word.

So fifa dont allow governments to interfere with football , yet it seems it doesnt apply to trump , Belgium should simply refuse to play if he plays .

Refusing to play has bad consequences

USA should be thrown out for political intervention, but that's not happening either.

Maybe just give Trump another award and stiff USA with a couple of dodgy pens and
another (suspended) red.

The ref should red card him immediately after kick off if he plays.


Make USA play the whole match with 10 men for fielding a banned player.

In an ideal world the other teams should all get together and say we will refuse to play any more matches unless he is banned .
Fifa will ban him again in an instant when the advertisers start ringing .

FIFA has rules that Belgium's supposed appeal of the decision is 'inadmissible' - they aren't a party to the proceedings and don't have any standing to challenge the decision, so there is no appeal and he is available tonight.

The irony is Balogan under Trumps birthright proposal would not be eligible to play as he was born there when his UK mother was on hols in the US.

Very poor episode in this world cup and like all above hope the US get destroyed tonight.

Great post straw man everyone should withdraw from tournament, it’s a farce. Not going to happen though.

Belgium can't appeal as when Balogun was reinstated, FIFA deliberately gave no written reasons, and you need written reasons apparently to be able to challenge them.

Apparently Balogan's tackle was accidental so shouldn't have been a red card..

Obviously, Quansah's tackle was accidental..

It will add a bit of spice and needle to the game. Belgium need a good kick up the backside to start playing better so maybe it will help them.

My concerns is really not to do with tackle is that trump ton can phone FIFA on a sport he knows nothing about and can change a decision
That’s surely wrong

He won the fifa peace prize
He banned one of the refs
Seems Infantino is open to his will.

very concerned about people who kiss Trump's arse. If he ordered them to suck him off, would they do it? Starmer wouldn't need to be asked, of course.

... and Trump is presenting the trophy

Would Belgium have a case if losing tonight of turning the result over on appeal due to the USA fielding an ineligible player ?...i wish they were playing a south american side next the boos every time he went near the ball would be off the scale.

A few brown envelopes on the way from the Whitehouse to FIFA officials.

UEFA have made a public statement condeming the decision.....maybe in the long run it will be the straw that broke the camels back with the corruption inbreed in FIFA finally going too far and the bodies seperate...

No surprise really. The most corrupt western democracy, headed by a corrupt President influencing

the most corrupt sporting body of all time.

Jul 6, 2026 -- 2:38PM, SirNorbertClarke wrote:

Didn't CR7 have a 3 match ban reduced to 1 match by UEFA?

Trump got that sorted too. After Ronaldo attended a White House function.

If Balogen was a real man he would refuse to play. If the team coach was a real man he would not play

Balogen. However, that won't happen because the attitude in Football these days is win however

you can and to hell with sportmanship!

Apparently the majority of US fans approve of the decision. That's not surprising since Americans

voted into office Donald Trump! That's how stupid they are.

If the Manager had any morals he would simply not play him. ??