Belgium have informed US Soccer of their intention to file a formal complaint if Folarin Balogun plays against them in the Round of 16.

The Royal Belgian Football Association had appealed FIFA’s decision to suspend Balogun’s ban, but that appeal has been rejected ahead of the Seattle showdown.

Balogun was originally due to miss the match after receiving a red card during the United States’ victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina in the group stage.

FIFA converted the mandatory one-game ban into a suspended sentence over the weekend, triggering immediate outrage from the Belgian camp.

The RBFA say they have not been given any explanation as to why Balogun’s ban was suspended, which forms the basis of their grievance against US Soccer.

Should Belgium’s complaint succeed following the match, the USMNT would be handed a 3-0 defeat and eliminated from the tournament entirely.

The eligibility row became one of the most talked-about stories of the entire tournament after US President Donald Trump confirmed he had intervened in the matter.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino acknowledged receiving a call from Trump but was careful to distance himself from the actual disciplinary decision.

Infantino stated: “I explained that there was an ongoing legal process involving FIFA’s independent judicial bodies and that the case would be decided in due course by the competent bodies.”

The FIFA president published a lengthy statement on social media defending the independence of the organisation’s disciplinary process amid the mounting controversy.

He said: “FIFA’s judicial bodies are independent. They operate autonomously, apply the FIFA Disciplinary Code, and decide cases based on the applicable regulations and the specific facts before them.”

Infantino also addressed the nature of his own relationship with FIFA’s decision-making process, acknowledging he does not always agree with every ruling handed down.

He wrote: “I read the decisions of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee when they are issued. Sometimes I am surprised by them. Sometimes I agree with them, and sometimes I disagree.”

He added: “Respect for independent institutions and the rule of law is what protects the integrity of our competitions and the credibility of FIFA at all times.”

Belgium’s threat to file a complaint means the controversy surrounding Balogun’s eligibility is unlikely to disappear even if he features and the USMNT win the match.

Given FIFA’s handling of the situation so far, the prospect of the United States facing serious punishment remains uncertain at best heading into the high-stakes fixture.

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