newspub_live
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Belgium is crying foul after FIFA cleared USMNT star Folarin Balogun before Mondays World Cup Round of 16 showdown in Seattle.
The Royal Belgian Football Association released a statement on the overturned suspension, saying they were stunned by FIFAs decision to declare suspended American player Folarin Balogun eligible to play, arguing the ruling violates both the FIFA Disciplinary Code and World Cup regulations.
The federation concluded by saying it is considering all possible options to protect the legitimate rights of all participating teams and preserve the fundamental principles of fair play.
FIFA MAKES FINAL RULING ON US SOCCER STAR FOLARIN BALOGUNS CONTROVERSIAL RED CARD SUSPENSION FIFA, however, wasnt persuaded.
Pursuant to article 27 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, the application of the automatic suspension of American player Folarin Balogun is suspended for a probationary period of one (1) year, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee said in an official statement.
The ruling means Balogun, who was sent off against Bosnia and Herzegovina, is eligible to face Belgium on Monday night.
USA WORLD CUP STAR CALLS LACK OF APPEAL PROCESS FOR TEAMMATES RED CARD BOGUS President Trump celebrated the ruling on Truth Social, thanking FIFA for doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice! Trump also praised Baloguns reinstatement and predicted a strong performance from the Americans against Belgium.
Its not hard to see why Belgium wanted Balogun sidelined.
The American striker leads the United States with three goals this tournament.
Balogun scored against Bosnia and Herzegovina before being shown a red card in the 64th minute after a VAR review upgraded the challenge.
FORMER TEAM USA STAR WANTS TO SEE RED CARD RULE CHANGE AFTER FOLARIN BALOGUN CONTROVERSY The dismissal immediately sparked debate among fans and pundits, many of whom believed the punishment was overly harsh.
The U.S.
learned of FIFAs decision while arriving for Sunday morning training in the Seattle area.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP Belgium enters Mondays Round of 16 match ranked No.
9 in the FIFA World Rankings after handing the United States a 5-2 loss in a March friendly.
But World Cup knockout soccer is a different animal.
Come kickoff Monday night in Seattle, Balogun will be exactly where Belgium hoped he wouldnt be: on the field.
FULL STATEMENT The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) is stunned by FIFAs decision to declare suspended American player Folarin Balogun eligible to play in the United States-Belgium match scheduled for Monday, July 6 at 5 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 application 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 teams next match, as has been the case for all red cards shown earlier during this FIFA World Cup.
Moreover, and independently of the above, this decision directly contradicts the provisions of the FIFA World Cup 2026 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), he will be automatically suspended for his teams next 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 May 12, 2026.
This rule is reiterated at every FIFA World Cup 2026 match coordination meeting before each game and appears in all workshop presentations dedicated to the FIFA World Cup 2026.
In order to safeguard the legitimate rights of all participating teams and preserve the fundamental principles of fair play in our sport, both during this FIFA World Cup and in future editions of the tournament, the RBFA is considering all possible options.
Send us your thoughts: [email protected] / Follow along on X: @alejandroaveela It just feels right.
Folarin Balogun can play in World Cup round of 16 after red card suspended SEATTLE Chris Richards said he first heard teammate Folarin Balogun had been cleared to play in Mondays World Cup elimination game while on the team bus, heading to a morning training session at the University of Washington.
We found out through social media, Richards said Sunday.
Theres a lot of people posting a lot of stuff, so we werent sure if it was true or not.
In this case, it was.
FIFA announced Sunday morning, about 30 hours before the U.S.
was scheduled to play Belgium in the Round of 16 game, that the one-game suspension Balogun had received for a dangerous challenge in last weeks win over Bosnia and Herzegovina is being held in abeyance, making him eligible to play in what is arguably the teams most important game in at least a generation.
Really excited, obviously, for him to have this opportunity, Christian Pulisic said.
Hes our leading scorer in the tournament.
Hes a big part of this team.
So of course you want a guy like that around.
President Trump celebrated the reversal on his social media platform while the New York Times, citing three unnamed people familiar with the conversation, reported that Trump spoke personally with FIFA President Gianni Infantino last week and asked him to rescind the red card.
Balogun, born to Nigerian parents who live in England, is only eligible to play for the U.S.
through birthright citizenship, a principle Trump unsuccessfully asked the Supreme Court to overturn last month.
The Belgium team was not as happy with the countrys soccer federation saying it was astonished by the ruling and investigating all potential options to block it and safeguard the legitimate rights of all participating teams and to protect the fundamental principles of fair in our sport.
It was unclear what those options might be.
I didnt know the game was being played on April Fools Day rather than July 6, Belgian coach Rudi Garcia said.
Were not defending the national team or federation.
We are defending football.
No American since 1930 had scored three times in a World Cup before Baloguns first-half goal in a 2-0 over Bosnia in the round of 32.
That was the teams first victory in a World Cup knockout game since 2002 and in the three U.S.
wins in this tournament, Balogun has either scored or set up the game-winning goal.
But early in the second half of the Bosnia game, he collided with Tarik Muharemovic and when the Bosnian defender planted his right leg below Baloguns right foot, the American inadvertently stomped on his right ankle, twisting it awkwardly.
Both players went down, but Brazilian referee Raphael Claus did not initially penalize either.
After the video assistant referee urged him to watch a replay, however, Claus walked away from the monitor and flashed the red card at Balogun, a judgment many immediately deemed overly harsh.
FIFA ultimately agreed, suspending the disqualification Sunday.
In line with article 27 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, the implementation of the match suspension is suspended for a probationary period of one year, it wrote in a statement.
If Folarin Balogun commits another infringement of a similar nature and gravity during the probationary period, the suspension shall be revoked and the sanction enforced without prejudice to any additional sanction imposed for the new infringement.
For Pulisic, that was justice.
It just feels right, he said.
If you look at the foul, its zero intent.
There were much worse ones that went on this tournament.
Balogun actions after the questionable foul may also have inspired FIFAs leniency.
After the final whistle of the Bosnia game, he walked to the center of the field and shook hands with Claus, then politely took ownership of the incident in his first public remarks two days later.
I think a yellow card would have been fair, he said last Friday.
[But] its something thats happened, so we have to move forward, and I have to accept it.
Pulisic applauded his teammates humility.
Balo handled it so well, and I think the team handled it well, he said.
We werent here to complain.
You have to handle it in a good way, and you know good things happen.
U.S.
Soccer, which had remained engaged with FIFA since the was suspension, issued its own statement.
We accept the decision of the Disciplinary Committee and are pleased that Folarin Balogun is eligible to compete tomorrow, it read in part.
Our full attention is focused on the Round of 16 match against Belgium.
Balogun is not the first person to have a penalty rescinded by FIFA.
Portugals Crisitiano Ronaldo was given a straight red card and a three-game international ban after swinging an elbow at Irish defender Dara OShea during a World Cup qualifier last fall.
But after Ronaldo sat out a qualifier with Armenia, FIFA converted the rest of the penalty into a one-year probation, clearing the Portuguese captain to play in the World Cup.
But its the first time FIFA has lifted a suspension during the World Cup since 1962, when Brazilian attacker Garrincha was allowed to play in the final after his nations government intervened.
Garrincha, who tied for the scoring lead with four goals and was named the best player of that tournament, had been sent off in the semifinal after kicking Chiles Eladio Rojas.
Brazil, with Garrincha, defeated Czechoslovakia 3-1 in the title game.
If Balogun had missed Mondays game, the U.S.
would likely have replaced him with Ricardo Pepi or Haji Wright, but the dropoff would have been significant.
Balogun not only tops the U.S.
in goals but he has has a team-leading 11 shots and four shots on target in 223 minutes.
Pepi and Wright, who have combined for 186 minutes, do not have a goal or shot in the tournament.
Balogun is also good at holding up the ball, buying time to let his teammates join the attack.
Thats a skill the U.S.
will need against a smart, veteran Belgium team that has warmed into the World Cup, scoring eight times in its last two games.
The U.S.
has beaten Belgium just once, in the 1930 World Cup.
The last meeting was a March friendly that Belgium won 5-2 and the last time they faced off in the World Cup, in the round of 16 in 2014, Belgium won in extra time in a game in which American keeper Tim Howard made a tournament-record 16 saves.
Kevin DeBruyne and Romelu Lukaku scored while Thibaut Courtois nine saves in goal for Belgium that day.
All three are still on the team and played in Belgiums Round-of-32 win over Senegal in this World Cup last week.
No one on the U.S.
roster for that 2014 game has played internationally since 2023.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Toronto Maple Leafs No.
1 draft pick Gavin McKenna has already been on the ice with the team as it held its development camp this week, but the highly-touted rookie is going to have to make a big change for this fall.
His number.
When he was playing for the Western Hockey Leagues Medicine Hat Tigers and then again at Penn State this past season, McKenna wore the No.
72.
THE TALLEST PLAYER EVER SELECTED IN THE NHL BLEW MINDS IN HIS DEBUT WITH THE SAN JOSE SHARKS The expectation was that McKenna would wear No.
72 with the Maple Leafs, and he did so this week at development camp.
Plenty of fans have also already ordered No.
72 jerseys with his name on the back.
On most rosters, No.
72 is unique enough that he wouldnt run into any issues wearing it.
However, on July 1, the Leafs signed two-time Stanley Cup champion goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, who has worn No.
72 for most of his career, except during his first two seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers, when he wore No.
35.
So, some were wondering how this would work out.
Would the Leafs want their new franchise player to get his pick of the number litter, or would they defer to a two-time Vezina winner? FLYERS MAKE STUNNING OFFER SHEET FOR DUCKS STAR LEO CARLSSON IN BLOCKBUSTER NHL MOVE Well, it turns out that McKenna will be the one swapping numbers, and hell be switching to No.
92 this season.
McKenna had to get creative here because the obvious number changes were a no-go in Toronto.
Adding 7 and 2 would be 9, but that was retired in honor of Charlie Conacher and Ted Kennedy.
Another option wouldve been to flip the digits and go with No.
27, but that was retired in honor of Frank Mahovlich and Darryl Sittler.
ALEX OVECHKIN SIGNS A ONE-YEAR DEAL TO RETURN FOR ANOTHER NHL SEASON WITH THE CAPITALS So, 92 it is.
However, McKenna reached out to one of the three previous players to wear the number, Jeff ONeill, to ask whether he was comfortable with him using it.
Its fair to say he was down with the idea.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP McKenna will be a key piece of a Maple Leafs team that is looking to bounce back after a nightmare 2025-26 campaign that saw them finish last in the Atlantic Division.
Itll be the culmination of nine minor-league seasons.
But Eliezer Alfonzos major-league debut on Sunday wont include his family watching from Dodger Stadium.
Alfonzos younger sister, Eliana, and stepmother, Patricia, have been missing since last month when earthquakes caused widespread devastation in his home country of Venezuela.
Ive been trying to support my dad a lot, every day talking to him, trying to be with him, Alfonzo said of the elder Eliezer Alfonzo, a retired major-league catcher.
Its a little tough from here because I would like to be there with him, supporting him every day.
His father, of course, would love to be in attendance for his sons debut.
He told him as much when he heard the Dodgers were calling him up.
The Dodgers switched their backup catchers Saturday, optioning Chuckie Robinson.
They saw an opportunity to give Alfonzo some runway behind Dalton Rushing, with starting catcher Will Smiths stay on the injured list expected to extend through the All-Star break.
The elder Eliezer Alfonzo, however, is doing whatever he can to locate his wife and daughter.
Their dog was found alive, which gave the younger Eliezer Alfonzo hope.
Weve just gotta stay together as a family, as a country, Alfonzo said.
Because I feel like were a beautiful country, were a really beautiful people over there.
Its not just about my family, its all families that have lost people already.
But weve got hope.
We just pray, we ask God to give them back to us alive.
Alfonzos locker in the clubhouse is next to countryman Miguel Rojas stall.
Rojas wife, Mariana, and their two children were in Venezuela, planning to renew Marianas passport and seek Venezuelan citizenship for their children, when the earthquakes hit.
They managed to stay safe and have returned to the U.S.
I just want to be here for him, Rojas said.
At the end of the day, thats the best thing I can do for him, is being a good teammate and being a friend for him.
Because I know theres going to be ups and downs.
Hes going to have a lot of time to be caught [up] in baseball, and thats going to probably take his mind away from stuff.
But sometimes hes probably going to feel weak, and hes going to start thinking about his family.
So Im going to be here, Im right next to him.
And thats what I told him.
Rojas, who played against the elder Eliezer Alfonzo for years in Venezuela, reached out Saturday morning and promised him hed save the ball from his sons first major-league hit.
- Technology3 minutes ago Mr.
Lifs Emergency Rations EP is post-9/11 hip hop at its most daring - World8 minutes ago Australian healing with beautiful messages after losing arm to shark attack - Politics15 minutes ago Michigan Democrat Mallory McMorrow drops out of Senate race weeks before primary - Health18 minutes ago Tanmaxxing trend could come at a dangerous cost, skin cancer experts warn - Technology30 minutes ago Hi Mom text scam: How to spot fake emergency texts - Business33 minutes ago Minions & Monsters tops the box office, but with a lower-than-expected haul - Entertainment38 minutes ago L.A.
County heat advisory: When will high temperatures peak in SoCal? - Politics48 minutes ago Inside the California ICE detention boycott over $18 coffee grounds, $21 tampon boxes.