NPR
Historic World Cup furor at 'incomprehensible' FIFA decision to let U.S. forward Balogun play
Monday, July 6, 2026
The Belgian soccer federation filed a challenge to FIFA's ruling that allowed U.S. forward Folarin Balogun to play after receiving a red card in a previous match. Belgium submitted its statement approximately 11 hours before the teams' scheduled kickoff in Seattle. UEFA, the European soccer governing body, stated the decision was "incomprehensible and unjustifiable."