Jaap van Aanholt

🚨𝐎𝐅𝐅𝐈𝐂𝐈𝐀𝐋: Statement from the Belgian Football Association following the cancellation of the red card on Florian Balogun: “The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) is astonished by the decision of the International Football Federation (FIFA) to deem the United States national team player, Florian Balogun, eligible to participate in the United States vs. Belgium match on Monday, July 6, at 5:00 PM (Seattle time), despite his suspension.” “FIFA bases its decision on Article 27 of its Disciplinary Code. This article states that FIFA's Disciplinary Committee may decide to suspend the enforcement of a previously imposed disciplinary sanction.” “However, Article 66.4 of the same Disciplinary Code clearly states that a red card (dismissal) automatically results in the player being suspended from his team's next match, which has been applied in all previous red card cases during the current World Cup.” “Furthermore, regardless of the above, this decision directly contradicts the regulations of the 2026 World Cup tournament, specifically Article 10.5, which states the following: 'If a player or a member of the technical staff is sent off as a result of a direct or indirect red card (second caution), he is automatically suspended from his team's next match. In addition, further sanctions may be imposed on him.' “The automatic nature of this suspension is also explicitly reaffirmed in Circular No. 16 for the 2026 World Cup, which was distributed to all participating national associations on May 12, 2026.” “This rule is also reiterated in every pre-match coordination meeting, and it is included in all presentations for the 2026 World Cup workshops.” “In order to protect the legitimate rights of all participating national teams, and to uphold the fundamental principles of fair play in this edition of the World Cup and future editions, the Royal Belgian Football Association is exploring all possible legal options.” 🇧🇪