Folarin Balogun has stated he was not involved in the decision to overturn his one-match red card ban for the United States' World Cup match against Belgium. The forward accepted the ruling was "controversial" but insisted the process had "nothing to do with me personally." Despite Balogun's availability, the U.S. lost the match 4-1 to Belgium.

FIFA maintains the decision to suspend the ban was made by its independent disciplinary committee, citing "specific circumstances" under Article 27 of its disciplinary code. This stance has drawn criticism, with UEFA suggesting FIFA has "crossed a red line" by potentially allowing political interference. U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino expressed disappointment with the "politics and manipulation" surrounding the situation, though he stressed it did not affect the team's performance.

The Belgian football association has not yet revealed if it will pursue further action after its appeal against the decision was dismissed. The use of Article 27 raises questions about how FIFA will handle future disciplinary matters, particularly as the Football Association considers its options regarding a red card shown to defender Jarell Quansah.