Belgium Rage at Baloguns…

SEATTLE — Belgium’s coach Rudi Garcia expressed disbelief upon hearing that suspended U.S. striker Folarin Balogun was cleared to play in the round of 16 match on Monday. Meanwhile, the Belgian federation announced it was “investigating all potential options” in light of FIFA’s surprising ruling.

“I thought it was a joke when I heard that on July 5th at the World Cup it’s actually April 1st — it’s like April Fools’,” Garcia remarked at a press conference on Sunday.

– Pulisic, Richards respond to Balogun’s ban being lifted

Garcia emphasized that the federation’s extensive statement not only aimed to protect the Belgian team but also underscored the unprecedented nature of FIFA’s decision, which contradicts their prior guidelines regarding automatic suspensions after receiving a red card.

“We’re not just defending our national team or federation. We are standing up for the integrity of football,” Garcia asserted.

Balogun had been ejected during the U.S. victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina for a tackle that was initially overlooked by the on-field referee but resulted in a red card after video review. The standard punishment for a red card is a one-game suspension.

However, on Sunday morning, FIFA announced that Balogun would instead face a form of probation — his suspension was lifted, allowing him to participate.

“If this decision had come sooner, we could have prepared ourselves mentally better,” said Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. “It’s fortunate we still have a training session later today. … But we’ll be ready. It’s not just Balogun; they have eleven players to contend with.”

Garcia and Courtois avoided addressing many questions about the Balogun ruling, directing reporters to the federation’s statement, which described their astonishment over the decision and noted that it contradicted FIFA’s own tournament regulations.

When asked if Belgium might file an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport — potentially even after the match — Garcia chose not to respond directly. “Our focus is on the sporting aspect,” he stated.

Courtois also discussed the U.S. offense, commenting on how Balogun’s involvement could pose a significant challenge for Belgium’s defense.

“He’s a very quick striker,” Courtois observed. “His playing style is different from [Ricardo] Pepi’s. They have a lot of quality forwards.”