États-Unis-Belgique: "100% corrompue", "la Fifa tue le football"... la presse belge estomaquée par la levée de la suspension de Balogun
Sent off in the round of 32 of the 2026 World Cup against Bosnia and Herzegovina, Folarin Balogun will be able to play for the United States in the round of 16 against Belgium (Tuesday at 2 a.m.) thanks to FIFA's surprise lifting of his suspension. The football world and the Belgian press are vehemently opposed to this "scandalous" decision and the possible interference of Donald Trump.
After the initial shock, came the disgust. This Sunday, FIFA's Disciplinary Committee announced, to everyone's surprise, a modification of the sanction against Folarin Balogun, who was sent off in the Round of 32 of the 2026 World Cup while playing for the United States against Bosnia and Herzegovina. The one-match suspension he automatically received was commuted to "a one-match suspended sentence, with a one-year probationary period." As a direct consequence, Team USA's top scorer in the tournament will be available to play in Seattle for the Round of 16 match against Belgium (Tuesday at 00:00 GMT).
However, according to FIFA's disciplinary code, a red card "automatically results in a suspension for the following match." And the affair quickly turned into a scandal when the American press revealed that US President Donald Trump, who has long boasted of his friendship with FIFA president Gianni Infantino, had called him to request a review of the striker's suspension.
"The bigger the fish, the easier it is to swallow."
While the head of state thanked the world governing body "for righting a great injustice," the football world does not share his view of justice. And what about the Belgian press, stunned by a decision that reeks of political interference? "At first, I thought it was a colleague's joke. But no," quipped Vincent Langendries in an RTBF article titled: "With 'Balogun Gate,' FIFA is killing football." "As Rudi Garcia said, it was April Fool's Day in the FIFA offices on July 5, the day before the World Cup round of 16. An April Fool's joke? No, a July whale... The bigger the fish, the more believable it is."
The columnist continued: "The collusion (if not something else) between the head of this global organization (which has just lost all credibility in the eyes of true football lovers) and the proprietor of the White House... has reached the height of ridiculousness, even shame."
Our colleagues at Le Soir shared the same resentment. "This not-so-venerable institution has just put its impartiality on sale," they lamented. And DH Les Sports added: "We were expecting the first interference from the President of the United States in 'his' World Cup, and it came on Sunday, July 5, the day after Independence Day."
A gift for the Belgians?
For Pieter-Jan Calcoen, editor-in-chief of Het Nieuwsblad, "it's 100% corrupt. It's politics based on favoritism. They're trying to have the best players on the pitch." The newspaper continued: "Infantino isn't a sports administrator. He's not building the future of football. He's building an empire." "It's absolutely scandalous, I'm speechless," fumed Manuel Jous on the RTBF program "Complètement Foot." "Frankly, I'm stunned, to put it mildly, because there are very clear regulations."
But FIFA's controversial decision, whether guided by presidential directives or not, could galvanize the Red Devils, who have been lacking confidence in the competition. "Donald Trump imagines he's provided the most beautiful assist of the World Cup when he simply scored an own goal," asserted DH Les Sports. "Belgium will have 7.9 billion fans for the first time in its history." And Vincent Langendries declared on RTBF: "Seattle is ours. Seattle will be the land of truth on the pitch, of the real thing. Seattle will be the land of 'Make Belgium Great Again!'"
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