FIFA revoked THE United States Men’s National Team forward Folarin Balogun’s one-game suspension on Sunday. Belgium head coach Rudi Garcia slammed that decision.
The United States faces Belgium in the Round of 16 at the FIFA World Cup at Lumen Field in Seattle on Monday (Fox/Telemundo, 8 p.m. ET). In a Sunday news conference, Garcia compared the decision to let Balogun play to a practical joke on a much-maligned holiday.
Rudi Garcia reacts to Folarin Balogun decision
“I didn’t know that at the World Cup, the 5th of July is actually the first of April. It’s April Fools,” he said (h/t The Athletic’s Tom Bogert). “We’re not defending the national team or federation, we are defending football.”
The Royal Belgian Football Association released a lengthy statement shortly after learning of FIFA’s decision, calling it “astonishing.” It then cited the rulebook to skewer the reversal.
