New Delhi: The decision to waive the one-match suspension of US striker Folarin Balogun for the 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 16 clash against Belgium was made solely by one committee member of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee. He is FIFA Chairman Mohammad Al Kamali from the United Arab Emirates.
First reported by The Times Sunday, Balogun’s suspension waiver continues to raise eyebrows globally, despite the US being eliminated from the tournament.
Balogun was sent off in the second half of the Round of 32 match against Bosnia and Herzegovina, following a stamp on defender Tarik Muharemovic. The decision was taken after the referee reviewed the incident through the video assistant referee (VAR) system.
While the original decision raised eyebrows, the resulting efforts by the US, including by President Donald Trump lobbying the highest levels of FIFA to overturn the decision, created global controversy. Trump publicly acknowledged that he had spoken to FIFA President Gianni Infantino ahead of the Round of 16 match.
Roughly 48 hours before the game between the US men’s national team (USMNT) and Belgium, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee issued a statement that it waived Balogun’s one-match suspension for the next year, allowing the American forward to appear in the Round of 16 game.
Invoking Article 27
Balogun was the USMNT’s leading goal scorer at the FIFA World Cup, with three goals this edition. The FIFA Disciplinary Committee had invoked Article 27 of its disciplinary regulations to allow Balogun to appear in the game.
The decision enraged the Belgian federation. They appealed the decision, and when the Appeals Committee did not change the decision, the Belgian federation promised to look at all legal possibilities regarding the waiver of Balogun’s suspension.
The Belgian federation received support from UEFA – the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and several other federations and former players over FIFA’s decision on Balogun.
The decision turned out to be moot, as a very motivated Belgian national team scored four goals to ensure the USMNT’s run in the World Cup ended at the Round of 16.
Infantino defended the decision, highlighting that the judicial bodies of FIFA are independent and make their decisions with no outside interference. The FIFA Disciplinary Committee consists of 18 members, including Chairman Al Kamali and Deputy Chairman Jorge Palacio of Colombia.
The new revelations by the British newspaper indicate that none of the other 17 members was a part of the decision-making process behind Balogun’s waiver. Al Kamali was approached by the BBC for a comment, but refused to answer the questions raised by the reporter over the decision to suspend Balogun’s red card.
Also read: Norway winger Alexander Sorloth faces online threats after FIFA World Cup exit
Cristiano Ronaldo was spared too
The FIFA Disciplinary Committee decision was also the first time in 64 years that the international body has weighed in to waive an on-field red card decision. The last time FIFA waived the match suspension was in the 1962 World Cup, when Brazilian star Garrincha was allowed to play despite being suspended in the previous game.
FIFA has maintained an even-handed approach when it comes to on-field decisions during the World Cup. The decision to invoke Article 27 was used by the Disciplinary Committee ahead of the tournament to allow Portuguese captain Cristiano Ronaldo to appear in the Group Stage.
Ronaldo had received a three-match suspension during a friendly match before the tournament, which would have seen him miss the first two games of the tournament. However, the waiver allowed the Portuguese captain to appear in the Group Stage, as they made it till the Round of 16 before losing to Spain.
(Edited by Saptak Datta)