Belgian Football Association Appeals FIFA Decision Allowing Folarin Balogun to Play Against Belgium

The Belgian Football Association has lodged an appeal with FIFA's Appeal Committee over the decision to grant US striker Folarin Balogun permission to play against the Red Devils despite a red card, according to The Brussels Times . Belgium has explicitly requested access to the referee's report from the USA v Bosnia match, during which the red card was issued. However, this has reportedly not yet been provided, the Belgian news website reported. FIFA has appointed an arbitrator to rule on the matter, but it will be a race against time – especially as the Football Association has still not received FIFA’s official decision or reasoning, making it difficult to formulate a case, the report further said. Balogun, the American leader with three goals in the tournament, received a red card for stepping awkwardly on the right ankle of Tarik Muharemović of Bosnia-Herzegovina in a 2-0 round of 32 win on Wednesday, triggering an automatic one-game suspension. According to The Associated Press , President Donald Trump intervened on behalf of the star US forward. FIFA announced Sunday that the suspension had been lifted for the round of 16 match, an extraordinary move that triggered praise from Trump and outrage from Belgium's team. It appeared to be the first time since 1962 that a red card during a World Cup didn't result in a suspension. Trump called FIFA president Gianni Infantino after the game asking FIFA review the red card, according to a person familiar with the call who spoke on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to speak publicly about the matter, the AP report said. "Thank you to FIFA for doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice!" Trump said in a statement on social media. Meanwhile, European soccer body UEFA criticized FIFA for an “incomprehensible and unjustifiable decision” to let Balogun play at the World Cup against Belgium, another AP report said.