Ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 16 clash between co-hosts the United States and Belgium, a controversial decision to suspend US striker Folarin Balogun’s automatic one-match red card ban sparked a firestorm of criticism from football governing bodies, national teams, and coaches — with former President Donald Trump later confirming he personally requested FIFA review the original suspension. The entire off-pitch drama did little to derail Belgium, who walked away with a dominant 4-1 victory over the Americans to book their spot in the tournament quarter-finals.
Balogun, 25, looked set to miss the Seattle tie after receiving a straight red card for a foul on Bosnia-Herzegovina defender Tarik Muharemovic in the US’s previous group stage match. Under standard FIFA rules, a straight red card results in an automatic one-match suspension for the player’s next fixture. But just 24 hours before kickoff, FIFA made the unprecedented call to pause Balogun’s suspension for a 12-month period, clearing him to start against Belgium.
The ruling drew immediate condemnation across global football. UEFA, European football’s top governing body, said the last-minute intervention to cancel a pre-tournament knockout suspension “crossed a red line.” England manager Thomas Tuchel also spoke out against the decision, warning it set a dangerous precedent for future international competition. “Where to draw the line is the question that I ask,” Tuchel noted, pointing to England’s own recent red card for defender Jarell Quansah in their Round of 16 win over Mexico, where Quansah will serve his mandatory suspension in the next round.
Historical records underscore how unusual FIFA’s call was: of the 189 other red cards issued in men’s World Cup history prior to this tournament, only one player has ever avoided an automatic suspension — Brazil icon Garrincha in 1962, a decision made before the modern mandatory red card suspension system was implemented.
The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) confirmed it was “astonished” by the ruling and formally appealed FIFA’s decision, contesting Balogun’s eligibility to play in the Round of 16 tie. FIFA ultimately rejected the appeal, ruling Belgium was not an “interested party” to the original red card decision as it was only the US’s next opponent, not a party to the previous match.
On Monday, Trump confirmed during a White House appearance that he had personally reached out to FIFA to request a review of Balogun’s ban, saying he “didn’t think it was a foul.” The US president confirmed he spoke directly to FIFA president Gianni Infantino, but insisted he only asked for a review and did not pressure FIFA to reverse the suspension. “I think it would have left a big stain on the tournament if the ban had stayed,” Trump said. “I can’t tell them what to do. I don’t believe they made the decision; I believe it was the commission that made the decision. And it was the right decision.” Trump had reiterated that stance Sunday, calling FIFA’s ultimate ruling the correct one.
Despite the cleared striker in the US starting line-up, Belgium controlled the match from start to finish, securing a lopsided 4-1 win that eliminated the co-hosts from the tournament.
Belgium midfielder Nicolas Raskin, who also plays club football for Rangers, told reporters after the match that the entire squad had left the off-pitch controversy with a “sense of injustice” over the ruling, and used that feeling as motivation heading into the game. “A lot has happened off the pitch over the last two days,” Raskin said. “There was a sense of injustice within the squad, and we were determined to respond on the field.”
Captain Youri Tielemans echoed that sentiment, adding the controversial ruling had only unified the Belgian side and boosted their focus ahead of kickoff. “We told ourselves we had to respond on the pitch. That’s what we did,” he said.
After scoring their fourth goal, multiple Belgian players were photographed celebrating with a dance mimicking the viral “Trump dance” — the signature hip-swaying, slow arm-pumping routine that gained widespread attention during Trump’s 2024 US presidential campaign. The Belgian national team’s official Instagram account further leaned into the mockery of the situation, posting a photo of striker Romelu Lukaku cupping his ear to the crowd with the caption “overturn this,” a clear reference to FIFA’s decision to reverse Balogun’s ban.
Belgian head coach Rudi Garcia noted that Balogun approached him after the final whistle to speak about the controversy, and Garcia made clear he held no ill will toward the striker. “It’s not his fault, he’s not the one to blame and that’s what I told him,” Garcia said. When asked how the off-pitch chaos impacted his side, Garcia added that his mature squad stayed focused on their own game plan regardless of the US line-up. “Regardless of the US starting line-up, what really mattered to us is our game plan. The group is very mature. I told them what matters the most is us.”
The incident also drew international criticism from Iran, who was eliminated from the 2026 World Cup in the group stage amid visa and travel disruptions caused by ongoing US military conflict with the country. Iran posted a side-by-side screenshot on their official website showing their 1-1 draw with Belgium alongside the US’s 4-1 defeat, with the caption: “Now the whole world is dancing for the humiliating defeat of politics against football.” The dig referenced a previous comment from US Homeland Security chief Markwayne Mullin, who said he “danced a happy dance” after Iran was eliminated from group stage play.