Belgium’s football federation has asked FIFA to explain its decision to clear United States striker Folarin Balogun for Monday’s World Cup Round of 16 clash despite his red card in the previous match.

The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) said it was neither officially informed of the decision nor provided with the reasons behind the lifting of Balogun’s automatic one-match suspension. The federation said it intends to challenge the striker’s eligibility.

Balogun was cleared to play after FIFA overturned his suspension following intervention by US President Donald Trump.

According to the RBFA, it only became aware of FIFA’s decision through media reports before writing to the world football governing body to request a copy of the ruling and an explanation of the process.

The federation said FIFA instead treated its request as a formal appeal, appointed a judge and gave Belgium only a few hours to complete the appeal procedure.

The RBFA argued that FIFA’s regulations require a reasoned decision to be communicated before an appeal process begins, accusing the governing body of denying it a fair opportunity to seek clarification.

Belgium maintained that it was only requesting an explanation but alleged that FIFA’s handling of the matter effectively ensured any appeal would be declared inadmissible.