Belgian Midfielder: There's Always Justice

Belgium midfielder Nicolas Raskan stated that his team's 4-1 victory over the USA in the World Cup Round of 16 last night felt like a measure of justice after FIFA's decision to allow American striker Folarin Balogun to play despite his red card in the previous match. Balogun had been sent off in the Americans' earlier win against Bosnia and Herzegovina, and while such a penalty typically carries an automatic one-match ban, FIFA invoked Article 27 of its own Disciplinary Code, making the sanction "temporarily suspended."

It later emerged that the decision was made under pressure from US President Donald Trump, who reportedly requested a review. FIFA's Disciplinary Committee claimed it had the authority to lift the one-match ban, but this ruling sparked a wave of criticism and accusations worldwide. The Royal Belgian Football Association filed a complaint regarding the World Federation's unprincipled stance, which, however, went unheeded. Yet, the players on the field made the issue seem insignificant, securing a surprisingly comfortable win and advancing to the quarterfinals.

"As I said, I think there's always justice somewhere in life, and the fact that something 'can happen like that,' you can call it what you want. But we didn't think it was fair," Raskan told reporters after the match. "And in this game, that situation practically brought us luck. Because we had to win because of all that and convey our message through the match."