Belgian midfielder Nicolas Raskin said his side’s 4-1 World Cup victory over the United States on Monday felt like a measure of justice following FIFA’s decision to allow American forward Folarin Balogun to play despite his red card in the previous match.
Balogun had been sent off in the round of 32 against Bosnia and Herzegovina, and while a dismissal would normally carry an automatic one-match ban, FIFA suspended the ban under Article 27 of the disciplinary code after US President Donald Trump asked FIFA President Gianni Infantino to review the matter.
Infantino said FIFA’s judicial bodies operated «independently and autonomously» and that he had told Trump the Balogun case was subject to ongoing legal proceedings.
FIFA’s disciplinary committee said it had the authority to suspend the ban for one match.
The decision led to widespread criticism, including from the Belgian Football Federation, which unsuccessfully challenged Balogun’s fitness hours before kick-off.
READ ALSO | Trump says he has asked FIFA President Infantino to review Balogun’s red card incident
However, Belgium made the controversy irrelevant on the pitch, beating the home side 4–1 to reach the quarter-finals.
“Like I said, I think there was always justice somewhere in life and the fact that something like this can happen, you can say it that way if you want, but we don’t think that’s fair,” Raskin told reporters.
«And today I think it just brings us a little bit of luck. We had to win the game and the message all the time.»
Belgium will play Spain in Los Angeles on Friday for a place in the semi-finals.
Published on July 7, 2026
