The decision of the FIFA Disciplinary Commission to authorize the American striker Folarin Balogun to play in the round of 16 against Belgium established a precedent without previous records in the modern history of the World Cup.
According to a record released by the specialized firm Opta, this is the first documented occasion since the introduction of yellow and red cards in Mexico 1970 in which an expelled footballer can play the next match of a World Cup.
Balogun was sent off in the round of 32 match against Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, the Disciplinary Commission applied article 27 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code ex officio and suspended the execution of the sanction for a trial period of one year, which allowed him to be eligible for this Monday’s match against Belgium.
A precedent in the history of the tournament
Since the implementation of the card system in Mexico 1970, expulsions in the World Cup had resulted in automatic compliance with the corresponding suspension match.
The Balogun case constitutes the first documented occasion since the introduction of the cards in which an expelled footballer can play the next match of a World Cupafter the application of article 27 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code.
The resolution generated an immediate reaction from the Royal Belgian Football Federation (RBFA), which expressed its disagreement through an official statement and announced that it is studying the legal options available to it as it considers that the decision contradicts other provisions of the Disciplinary Code and the Regulations of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
A debate that transcends the Balogun case
The resolution also opened a debate on the scope of the Disciplinary Commission’s powers and the application of Article 27 during a World Cup.
While FIFA maintains that it acted in accordance with the tools provided for in its Disciplinary Code, the Belgian federation considers that the automatic suspension after a red card should prevail, which is why it is analyzing the regulatory avenues available to challenge the decision.
Beyond its immediate impact on the match between the United States and Belgium, the resolution already occupies a unique place in the history of the World Cups by becoming the first documented occasion since the introduction of the cards in Mexico 1970 in which an expelled footballer can play in his team’s next match.