Folarin Balogun cleared to play after FIFA suspends his ban
Just in: the Belgian Federation has decided to formally challenge FIFA's red card reversal for Folarin Balogun. The federation accuses FIFA of refusing to respond to its "legitimate requests" and creating an appeal process that was "immediately declared inadmissible".
Virgil Simpson45I’m not a soccer fan, don’t really care, but I do care about fairness, and anytime an outsider can intervene, that’s not fair.
Carol Ellen 🦋 🧶🫘26And so the 🍊💩has managed to contaminate WC, too.
Other Brother 💙🇺🇸💙19Going forward, all Red Cards are contingent upon FIFA approval and not considered effective until such time. Thank you for your attention to this matter.
azzuro112.bsky.social15The answer to this debacle is a no brainer: Infantino must be sacked immediately and Balogun's red card must stand. When I heard the news about Trump's interference I felt sick. I can only imagine how the Belgians feel and what kind of soccer manager thinks this is a good idea for Balogun? Disgrace!
Bruce Disenhouse12Good for them. The US should play without Balogun from a purely ethical standpoint
barbadine.bsky.social12Englands player got a red card last night he should be allowed to play in the next match. This is B. S.
Cheryl in Nova Scotia 🇨🇦🍁🍁65Good on Belgium, they are right in challenging this, RED CARDS are never overturned by FIFA, but of course the felon had to weasel into FIFA again, POS 🤬 Sorry, I am cheering on Belgium, I hope they whoop ass in this game.
Dr Juliette20mind you this is right after the US held a huge party in a park in the middle of Bruxelles, with fireworks in the middle of the night on a Sunday, which have damaged the Royal museum of arts and history (investigation pending)
Jorge Liboreiro19FIFA rejects Belgium’s appeal: “The request was rendered inadmissible on the grounds that the RBFA is not a party to the proceedings and, as such, has no standing to appeal the decision.” Folarin Balogun will play tonight.
Steve M.6Tariffs on Belgium are about to double.
John Bolton's Mustache6Great .. watch we try to nuke Antwerp or hear about the great waffle peril or some BS for 2 weeks...
Meidas Paul Wigton 🫘 🇺🇳🇺🇦4Good! I hope they prevail, from what I’ve seen, he didn’t deserve a red card, but despite that, rules are rules. No political entity should be involved in reversing of decisions, be they right or wrong.
Gibson/Fender Guy Living with Golden Retrievers 🇨🇦3Hope they win. Not much time though.
James Latham2Even if it's doomed to fail, push back anyway
The US soccer team has a chance to show that they have more class than the punk we elected president. Folarin Balogun should sit out tonights game.
Voted for Hubert and Kamala23Trump has made sure that the US team does not deserve to win tonight.
Bruce22This is a no-win situation. Play him and you’re an a-hole. Don’t play him and you’re a loser. Thanks loads, Donny.
Hockey Pucks 🏒 🥅18Balogun could come out as a real champion of the people the sport real Americans by sitting this out. That’s a real sport hero. Trump would deport him day after USA wins/loses or draws He’s a useful idiot for Donnie but just for now. Donnie wouldn’t piss on Florarin if he was on fire!
Naked under my clothes !17I am speaking for myself but I truly hope Belgium wins tonight. That would be justice.
Some Dude13Yes. We need to show the world we are not like the 🍊💩 or his cult followers. If I were coach or player I would sit out.
GP33312I never voted for him because I knew he was a cheating, lying, pedo-felon conman from the start. Do what’s right USA! 🇺🇸⚽️
elcanaco.bsky.social13USA should be kicked out of World Cup and banned from int'l football, as per FIFA's own rules related to political interference. We all know FIFA won't do that because the US makes them $. So, USMNT can at least show some class and not play Balogun. #WorldCup2026 #USMNT #USABEL #cdnpoli #CanMNT
phillyvoce6This was my hope, too. It' a huge ask of Balogun. But it would make him a hero.
Sam3@mlauriat.bsky.social @panetto.bsky.social ABSOLUTELY.. BUT HE WON'T
Ear Rick3Agreed. That's the only way I can root for my own country's team right now. #ServeTheSuspensionTONIGHT
Elle3I've been wondering what the chances are that Balogun will be targeted by ICE once the World Cup is over?
Tomas Sancio2It didn’t happen, because sports results are remembered far longer than the autocrats of the time. Case in point: 1950’s Maracanazo final. Brazil scored first, Uruguay tied, and then went ahead 1-2 and caused national mourning. For the life of me, I can’t name Brazil’s military dictator then.
CatWomanfortheWin2Dishonorable wins are worthless. #TEAMUSA you have ONE chance to #doright. I'm rooting for Belgium!
Transplant Rockstar2100% The call on the field stands. Like it would in US major sports. Interference earns the USMNT a sanction & them going along with it deserves an asterisk
SomeBody2I was thinking that. They would win fans worldwide. MAGA would pbly hate them, but it's not about them. It's not even about Trump. It's about how #FIFA are utterly riddled with #corruption. #Balogun #USABEL #WorldCup #WC2026
Elaine Fultz 📚💜☮️2💯 but will never happen. Talk about blacklisting. Ask Kaepernick. #fucktrump
🚨 BREAKING: UEFA has released a statement expressing disbelief at FIFA's decision to suspend Folarin Balogun's red card ban in the Round of 16, saying that it "crossed a red line." #FIFAWorldCup As always the USA ruins everything and anything it touches. 😡
dicarlo18.bsky.social64Balogun needs to do the right thing and self sit. This administration hates minorities, wants to eliminate birthright citizenship, and ban the flying of pregnant women to the US. All of which allowed Balogun to be a US citizen.
Carmen Negroni47Not USA, just trump and all republicans.
xpowrtrp99.bsky.social33Iran was sabotaged in every way possible but this is ok
Anthony Meilland25Has Trump ever touched anything that didn't turn to shit almost immediately? Let's add football to a long long list...
Stellar Cellar20If UEFA are really serious, they should withdraw their teams from the WC.
🇨🇦ker17This is really a new low. 🇺🇸 and FIFA really have out corrupted themselves this time. Ppl should be questioning all recent wins by 🇺🇸now. It probably isn’t the first time there has been a phone call made.
Corrvo9The US needs to be disbarred from the international community completely and indefinitely….
Dr Oddman - #AntiFa7Besides trump and MAGA, I haven’t been able to find anyone supporting the Baloguns suspension probation.., neither in the sports world, nor European news
David5This situation is staggering. The credibility of the entire tournament is on the line. FIFA are effectively declaring that Donald Trump is more important than the World Cup itself. Does Trump hold something over Gianni Infantino? Is he in the Epstein Files too??!!
Bruce D. Cowherd 🇨🇦3The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) is the governing body of football (soccer) in Europe consisting of 55 national associations. #FIFAWorldCup
LeeMacL 📎2The 🍊 buffoon, not all of us!
Coratee (Garfield Era)2Sorry. The USA is just that good. 😎
troubling ........ not content to simply get Folarin Balogun back from his red card suspension, the FOX desk is talking about how the USA playing in Seattle will provide them a "12th man" in tonight's game tonight. this of course would be a massive breach of FIFA rules and regulations
Aaron K112If the fans in Seattle have any integrity, they‘ll watch the match in silence
BUM CHILLUPS AKA SPENCER HALL AKA PRESIDENT FOOTBALL86Soccer teams only have eleven players #bluesky
Michael Buckelew31Balogun needs to answer every question today “I’m just here so I won’t get fined.”
Bonesito29The only honorable thing to do would be to play with no crowd and let Belgium score an uncontested goal. Only true sports fans realize this.
Harry Plinkett27And they're just talking about it out in the open like it's no big deal. Disgusting.
J18Everytime a European complains, we get an extra player
Sell Our Dior16you can strip the venue of any semblance of seahawkiness but you cannot remove, cover or exorcise the seahawkiness of the venue
Jeffrey Keese10Alert the lawyers, Miss Rev
max largeman (not the base)8the replies to this joke are as good as you'd expect on bluesky
high & off the wallflower4the definition of a true fan? sitting very quietly and encouraging others to do so, as not to disrupt the opponents' concentration
the womandalorian4it’s okay. Aggies have been doing this for a century and, well, you can see how that’s worked out for them
kyle3Their corruption knows no limits, smh
Jeff F2Taking in the reactions from abroad like
Well expressed: “Two things can be true at the same time, and so it is reasonable—perhaps even natural—for United States men's national team fans to feel that what happened to striker Folarin Balogun and the lifting of his one-game ban is both amazing (for the Americans) & awful (for the sport)...
George Conway ⚖️🇺🇸526... “These do not have to be binary states. You can think that Balogun didn't deserve a red card in the first place. But even if you feel that way, you can also recognize that so much about this situation just stinks. There was back-channeling done. ...
RoEaStM55It's not "amazing" for the US. If they win, it will be forever tainted. It's cheating, no other word for it.
Honestly, if I was the coach, I would sit him out this game. Then, no one can claim the US team won unfairly.
You know who15Trump making sure that the rest of the world wants the US to lose tonight.
David Seibert14Any games the USA wins from here forward will include an asterisk next to it... *Political intervention allowed the USMNT to gain an advantage not available to other teams. It's not fair to anyone.
casa-sj.bsky.social11More amazing would be for the team and Belogun to: 1) acknowledge it as a bad call 2) follow the rules 3) win (or lose) without Belogun This tells trump to fuck off and detroys the precedent of political intervention the idiot has set for any team, e.g. England, to contest the consequences of a red
NEW: The Belgian soccer federation is demanding an explanation from FIFA about the decision to let Folarin Balogun play at the World Cup after Trump intervened on Balogun's behalf tinyurl.com/5xrf665n
Carl Darwin9No one finds the irony in the fact that this player wouldn't be American if Trump got his birthright citizenship agenda enacted?
Cryptan8They have every right to demand an explanation.
💜Surly Dove7Trump shows his entitled upbringing in everything he does. He's not a man, he's a #manbaby "I want what I want because I want it!!" 😡 That's where any argument (if any) ended. Please world, don't let this story end there! No discussion, no placating just "NO!"
Thomas Mizelle6The ref made a bad call imo, but that’s just part of the game. The suspension should have stood.
Denimeyer5FIFA bows to tRump. Perhaps they are as corrupt as he is.
Eggbutt Snafflebit5Pochettino should not play Balogun. It is the only way to have a chance at washing away the stink of corruption and avoiding a shameful outcome, regardless of whether USMNT wins or loses.
Holy Priceless Collection6I feel really bad for Balogun, who took a red card that basically everyone agrees was bullshit with dignified sportsmanship and just wants to play and help his team win. He didn't ask for any of this shit. There is not a thing on Earth that Trump does not make worse.
Micah Warren5Yeah no shit they are. And FIFA will say, "thank you for your appeal, we'll review all of th...APPEAL DENIED." Finally the US team is good and Trump finds a way to ruin that too. Just a true, 100% piece of shit.
Ole Christensen 🇪🇺🤝🏼🇺🇦5Trump continues to destroy everything he touches. Now also football has been infested.
Tina Says #ResistFascism2All this mess when they just gave him a bribe ring
UEFA statement on Balogun case. "An unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable decision".
Simon Charles22Time for USMNT to stand up and say they won’t play Balogun. Only way to recover the high ground after Trump’s interference
Mr. Happy on Eurosky20UEFA needs a bluesky account. They can't announce such things on US govt adjacent platforms (X etc) only
Ryan Catanese15CMD+F ‘Ronaldo’ hm no results found that’s strange
Mark_EFC9Look fifa has bent over backwards this whole world cup to please trumps regime FIFA never stood up for Iran or for the ref who was denied entry because it was what the racist trump regime wanted ffs fifa gave trump a prize for most mentions in Epstein files Its a total farce by fifa but expected
ImWald 🫖☕️🎲📻🎞📚6UEFA should withdraw their Teams from any future FIFA Tournament. Enough is enough. Time for something new (a new World Cup) and back to the roots (No Quarters, no VAR, just plain and simple Football with 3 Referees).
Colette Carroll ♑️ 💙5Strong words, but they don't ask for the decision to be reversed. Or ask FIFA to reconsider.
Rodger Sherman82important to note that UEFA has been locked in a cold war with FIFA for years and would love the opportunity to get Infantino out of there. that said it's typically been a behind-the-scenes thing and I don't think they've ever issued a statement like this about FIFA
Nils Henrik23Adham Mohammad Tumah Makhadmeh frå Jordan dømmer nattas åttedelsfinale mellom Belgia og USA. Har han eit snev av integritet dømmer han belgisk straffe kvar gong ballen befinn seg i det USAnske straffefeltet.
Hugo Gordon 🇳🇴🇪🇸🇧🇪🇦🇷🇨🇴🇫🇷10Rare for one of football's governing bodies to so publicly and bluntly criticise FIFA, which demonstrates the level of anger. (Fwiw though UEFA are absolutely correct here their position is slightly undermined by them having happily accepted Ronaldo's red being suspended).
John Appleton9I notice that UEFA makes no mention of Ronaldo's suspended red card (which in fact makes it precedented).
FC One Football8Soon in USA: UEFA is two weeks away from acquiring nuclear weapons.
YodaBucarest8I will ask even the following question : How FIFA is guaranteeing us now that no games of this World Cup will be rigged, that no referees are/were influenced or even bought to let a team win or force a team to lose (f.e. the referee of France vs. Paraguay) ?
André Engelhorn8Mit anderen Worten: hier ist ein Maß an Korruption und politischer Einflussnahme erreicht, bei dem es sogar die UEFA ekelt.
telsie 🦬6of all the words to describe this situation, “unprecedented” is not one of them
Grobbelrevell5Whilst they're not wrong; People in glass houses, and all that.
Vinzenz Hediger5Seeing an opportunity to appear slightly less corrupt than their global counterparts UEFA seize it with both hands. In terms of the internal politics of Switzerland, this is a conflict between the French (Nyon, headquarters of UEFA) and the German speaking parts (Zurich, hotbed of FIFA corruption).
The Belgian federation is challenging FIFA’s decision to let U.S. forward Folarin Balogun play in World Cup match
Miley Crisis. ✨14Every other country should be challenging the decision too
Anna Busy Bee12For all US soccer fans who want to understand why the rest of the soccer world is so upset by this scandal. Imagine this. USMNT plays an important knock-out game against France in the World Cup held in France. France's star player and topscorer, Kylian Mbappé, got a red card 5 days ago. 1/4.
Citizen, Interrupted6As they should. And UEFA also had something to say. The last time something like that happened was in 1962. And it wasn't a president who called the FIFA boss. Regardless of whether the card was right or not, this is a disgrace.
Risto 🇫🇮3Am I the only one who is tired of argument FIFA has been corrupt for decades, so why don't we just let this fly because we benefit for this corrupt and shady people and organisation. Or the never ending was the red card right call conversation.
Tooey3If this reversal sticks, the world will be rooting for Belgium.
alvinput.bsky.social2Look to the prediction markets for those who suddenly cashed in on Mr. Baloguns return. Look to the Stock Markets. This has nothing to do with Integrity in Soccer, this is about the Stock Exchange and manipulation for Winners and Losers in the prediction markets.
Patricia Aas 🐢🏳️🌈26Even UEFA was upset. Listen, once we’ve fixed, you know, the world? We need to unfuck sports. A lot of these orgs are corrupt tools for sportswashing. Trump called up his bro Infantino, who gave him his silly prize, and… well, fascism and corruption go hand in hand. We need to fix both.
Melissa Lockard14The man assembling the evidence for their case
Rebecca Brückmann5FIFA appears to be strongly committed to corruption and thus will not care, but maybe there’s a peace prize in there for Belgium?
Mr. Spookytime Grift5Me, a person with no investment in any of this outside of the second-hand entertainment I get from The Feed:
wm2As they should! As much as I'd love to see Folarin play tonight, this is not how it should have been done.
Gerald Goodridge2Now we need a judge to recuse himself from the process, only for a judge who doesn’t understand the sport to make a decision about it.
Dear Folarin Balogun, If asked about it, say: “I always want to play, always want to do my best for my team. I have no say in any administrative decision, and don’t know how that works. If they say I can play, I play. If they say I can’t, I cheer on my teammates wishing I could play. That’s it.”
Ali McPherson31Forever tainted unless he withdraws, he will be booed everywhere he plays for the rest of his career, not his fault, but that's what will happen and it'll be right.
Sean23he’s handled the entire situation great so far, lots of really dumb takes in these replies
Strider21Wrong. If he takes the field, he and the team are tainted forever. Full-stop.
Brehon12If he plays he will booed in every European stadium during his regular season. He will be a pariah. He is risking his future career by playing.
Spicy Bonus Content11if I were him and a reporter opened their mouth to ask a question in my presence I'd just yell "AM I BEING DETAINED?" then throw down a smoke bomb and run away there's not much he can say that won't erode his standing as the one guy who didn't really do anything all that wrong (give or take a foul)
utahstock12.bsky.social6Feels like the Caster Semenya situation from track and field where the rules people need to fight things out but whether or not they say you can compete isn't the athlete's fault.
Mike Goodman55I mean he has literally already said this (when he was suspended).
John Muller53Why is this website like this
Bart Harley Jarvis10Some of the takes about this situation have been so bad. Like “are these people just discovering sports?” bad. Some people genuinely think Balogun should sit himself and refuse to play so he won’t forever have the stain of corruption on him and it might be the worst sports take ever.
ECH910000% this Anyone saying playing will hurt his career or the decision to play him would hurt Poch are idiots
Gregory Hays4"I'm just happy to be here and hope I can help the ballclub. I just want to give it my best shot and good Lord willing, things'll work out."
El Jefecito2Some good block candidates in the replies here. The non-ball knowers really need to stop showing their asses about this. Ridiculous.
The Belgian soccer federation is challenging FIFA's ruling to let Balogun play despite getting a red card in his previous game. Belgium's statement came just 11 hours before kickoff in Seattle. European soccer body UEFA criticizes FIFA's "incomprehensible and unjustifiable decision." n.pr/4vyVgU1
Domainophile10As an American, I say good. I'm sick of the corruption.
grassfedsteelhead.bsky.social9Famously corrupt organization makes corrupt decision after receiving a phone call from the guy they gave a bribery award to. Who could have predicted this???
SurelyUCantBSerious8The coach should sit him. A win with him will forever be tainted
War is Not the Answer5I am with Belgium on this. Let's try to win without breaking the rules.
MovieEv4only trump could turn a red card into a mountain of a mold hill
MiJoSzew3The only ways this could look more corrupt is if someone got pictured handing over a sack of cash with a dollar sign on it or if the audio of Trump’s phone call were leaked revealing specific threats/bribes offered.
If US player Folarin Balogun should be banned from playing against Belgium tonight like he is supposed to be. Like/RT!
Aidy Neal8FIFA= Fix It For America Corruption at the highest level!
Renj6The US team could make a stand and not play him. Doubtful but would be the right thing to do.
🍁CANADIAN ANTIFA🍁5LOOKS LIKE BOOING IS ABOUT TO GET LOUDER AND WELL DESERVED FOR THE AMERICAN TEAM
Mr T4So if America wins because Floarin scores how many people world wide will believe it was a fair game? FIFA has just committed suicide and killed the World Cup with the most spectacular own goal.
Somersetchris3New referee appointed for the USA v Belgium game
Mootable Jack2If Balogun had integrity, he would refuse to play.
European soccer body UEFA criticized FIFA for an “incomprehensible and unjustifiable decision” to let United States forward Folarin Balogun play at the World Cup against Belgium despite a red card in his previous game.
The Center Holds21It is totally comprehensible. Corruption. Power. There is your explanation.
Rob Sedgwick14Precedent set. Quansah can play against Norway.
Mina9“The credibility of the competition is undermined” seems like the key statement
Jay9Y’all are funny. Trump sucks, this sucks, but FIFA is and has always been one of the most corrupt organizations ever. It didn’t take much
drrobert2.bsky.social9Another example of tRump’s corruption and now Infantino’s complicity. Both need to be removed.
TravisLee5As an American who doesn't watch soccer other than the Olympics and World Cup, I think the whole red card resulting in a next game suspension is ridiculous, especially in tournaments like this. But I also think changing the rules for a corrupt president is reprehensible. This game is now tainted.
Jay21Oh no, you mean to tell me FIFA is corrupt?!?!??!
Yvalarevolution⁷7World Cup is rigged. We figured.
Sergio Codespoti5Random word that makes it comprehensible: CORRUPTION
Adam Sawyer4UEFA was always going to say this.
Indeed Seoltangi4But we all comprehend what is going on
Thariq Amir4FIFA’s handling of the World Cup has been gifting UEFA with a near endless feast of tap-ins.
Pulin3Trump (with an assist from Rudy Giuliani’s son!) started another war and ruined the most popular sport in the world. FIFA President Gianni Infantino should resign.
Lorz IX2I'm not immune to celebrating good football and my country's team and all that, but by god this nazi world cup has no integrity and is a disgrace to sports and human competition as a concept
FabPaule2Well its not incomprehensible-Trump has cheated
Everything Trump touches he corrupts Trump calls Fifa president about the suspension of U.S.A team member Folarin Balogun @anntelnaes.bsky.social
Captanne4As if FIFA wasn’t corrupt to begin with — now it’s out in the open. FIFA has learned that ”nobody really cares” (to quote our President). There will be no accountability.
David Pulsford3The world divided about tonight's match.
Average Rando (not) on twitter2To be fair, FIFA was already corrupt. It’s more a case of like calling to like.
Jan Dehn1Trump and Infantino are partners-in-corruption, slimy and disgusting like two eels fucking in a bucket of snot.
Tony G, PE1We need to 67 Trump. 67 Senators are needed who will vote to convict which will get rid of the not only the President but also the VP and cabinet. This means people need to turn out and vote blue at the midterms whether Republican or Democrat. This is the real Save America Act. 🇺🇸
WATCH: The USMNT player at the center of Trump’s FIFA scandal is exactly the kind of American that MAGA keeps attacking. “Folarin Balogun is American, and that is a wonderful thing,” says Chris Hayes.
Macalester.2Trump’s intervention was the team’s kiss of death.
SarcARSEtic Irish Paw Paw2Half the team with dual nationality, sounds rather representative
Pamela2We get the irony Chris. Well, most of US...
notidefix.bsky.social2it would have been a powerful argument for "birthright citizenship".... ....if MAGA were NOT completely immune to hypocrisy
webshaker1.bsky.social1Well, USA lost the match because everything Donald Trump touches turns to crap. I’m sorry that they lost but they deserve it after Trump forced the reversal of the red card. He deserves everything he gets.
Badges?1Trump attached a skunk to the World Cup, and now FOX TV is trying to embellish the game so fans won’t turn the channel. He keeps saying “Can the US perform a miraculous comeback?” The world will be a better place once Trump croaks and all his kids and cronies are in jail.
UNFORTUNATE: The Folarin Balogun controversy has turned every American into an early 2020s Chiefs fan and I hate it. www.si.com/nfl/folarin-...
fredrikblue.bsky.social10Folarin Balogun should be a man and decide to not play against Belgium.
Pink Ear4Every comment section is justifying what Trump did. Even his enemies too. It’s disgusting.
aoloughlin.bsky.social4As a patriots fan, I resent the reference to the chiefs. We were first!!! Also, sports aren’t a struggle between good and evil. Any team that wins enough eventually becomes the “villain” to everyone else. The USMNT’s threshold was lower bc MAGA runs the country.
Cats Are Better Than Men Because2Poor Balogun. It doesn't matter what he does at this point, someone is going to hate him.
HoBoheme2Nope. I went from being kind of okay with US winning to hoping that Belgium wipes them off the pitch with righteous anger. Did not think it was possible for someone to make FIFA more corrupt but there's Trump reverse Midas touch. Again. Everything to sh#t. The USA is irrevocably broken.
Blake Brown2I'm fighting for our lives out here bro. People out here acting like having your starting 11 is cheating