🚨 Folarin Balogun cleared to face Belgium after FIFA rejects appeal

🚨 Folarin Balogun cleared to face Belgium after FIFA rejects appeal Folarin Balogun is available to play for the United States against Belgium tonight after FIFA confirmed that an appeal challenging his eligibility has been dismissed. The FIFA Appeal Committee ruled that the Belgian Football Association's appeal was inadmissible, clearing the way for the striker to feature in the World Cup last-16 clash. In a statement, FIFA said: "The request was rendered inadmissible on the grounds that the RBFA is not a party to the proceedings and, as such, has no standing to appeal the decision." The ruling ends the uncertainty surrounding Balogun's availability just hours before kick-off, with the forward now expected to be included in Mauricio Pochettino's squad for the meeting with Belgium. Belgium had sought to overturn an earlier FIFA decision allowing Balogun to return to the United States setup, but the Appeal Committee found the Belgian federation had no legal standing to challenge the case. Earlier on Monday, President Donald Trump revealed in a White House press conference that he spoke to FIFA chief Gianni Infantino about the appeal. Infantino has since released his own statement saying “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."