The controversy began after Folarin Balogun was shown a red card in the Round of 16 during USA vs Bosnia and Herzegovina on July 1 in the 2026 World Cup. Normally, this would mean a one match automatic suspension. Not long after, FIFA used the Disciplinary Code to lift the ban which raised questions about how rules are applied. With backlash building, Alexi Lalas stepped in to defend the American side.

Ahead of the USA vs Belgium July 6, 2026, Lalas shared an AI-generated picture on X featuring a three  U.S players  probably Weston McKennie, Christian Pulisic, and Tim Weah sitting in a backyard-style setup. The post was captioned as: “US against the world. Bring it…”

A fan replied under the post, asking, “Is it really fun for some of you to win by cheating?” Lalas pushed back and responded, “Who is cheating and how?” questioning the claim and asking for clear evidence instead of accusations.

The original incident came from Balogun’s 50-50 challenge with Tarik Muharemović where he caught the opponent’s ankle while going through the ball. After VAR review and slow-motion replays, the referee judged it as serious foul play but later upgraded it to a red card. Instead of enforcing the standard suspension, FIFA’s disciplinary panel used Article 27 to suspend the ban.

Lalas added, “I understand that in the moment, it looks bad, and when you see it on video, it looks bad. But you have to have a feel and understanding of what’s going on. I thought it was a crap call.” He also said , “It should be said that if his name was Messi, as we have seen earlier in the tournament, he would still be on the field and he would still be able to play in Seattle on Monday.”

But now that the decision has been approved, the reaction from Europe has been sharp.

UEFA and the Belgian FA question FIFA’s decision

European soccer body UEFA issued a strong statement, saying they were in “disbelief” at what they called an “unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable decision.” They made it clear that they see the move as a break from standard disciplinary practice in football. But the strongest response came from the Royal Belgian Football Association.

They said they was “astonished” by FIFA’s decision to make Balogun eligible for the USA vs Belgium Round of 16 match. They released the statement saying, “Article 66.4 of the same FIFA Disciplinary Code clearly provides that a red card (sending-off) automatically results in a suspension for the team’s next match, as has been the case for all previous red cards issued during this FIFA World Cup. …”

They added that, “In order to safeguard the legitimate rights of all participating teams and to protect the fundamental principles of fair play in our sport, both at this FIFA World Cup and at future editions of the tournament, the RBFA is investigating all potential options.”