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There's justice in life, says Raskin after Belgium eliminate US
Charles De Ketelaere scored twice, Hans Vanaken punished a goalkeeping howler, and substitute Lukaku added a fourth for Belgium to settle the last-16 clash against the US
- PUBLISHED: Tue 7 Jul 2026, 1:16 PM
Belgium midfielder Nicolas Raskin said his side’s 4-1 World Cup last-16 win over the United States on Monday felt like a measure of justice after Fifa’s decision to allow US striker Folarin Balogun to play despite his red card in the previous game.
Balogun had been sent off against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the round of 32, and while a dismissal normally carries an automatic one-match suspension, Fifa suspended the ban under Article 27 of its Disciplinary Code after US President Donald Trump asked Fifa President Gianni Infantino to review the case.
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Infantino said Fifa’s judicial bodies operated "independently and autonomously" and that he had told Trump the Balogun case was subject to an ongoing legal process.
Fifa's disciplinary committee said it had the authority to suspend the one-match ban.
The decision triggered widespread criticism, including from Belgium’s football federation, which unsuccessfully challenged Balogun’s eligibility hours before kickoff.
Belgium, however, made the controversy irrelevant on the pitch, sweeping aside the hosts 4-1 to reach the quarter-finals.
“Like I said, I think there was always a justice somewhere in life and the fact that something can happen like that, you can put it all you want, but we don't think that was fair,” Raskin told reporters.
“And today, I think it just brings us a little bit of luck. We needed to win the game and the message throughout.”
The team's Instagram account posted a photo of Romelu Lukaku celebrating after scoring Belgium's fourth goal with the caption: "Overturn this."
Fired-up Belgium brought the United States' World Cup party to a shuddering halt on Monday.
Charles De Ketelaere scored twice, Hans Vanaken punished a goalkeeping howler, and substitute Lukaku added a fourth to settle the last-16 clash.
Belgium captain Youri Tielemans said the furore over Balogun had motivated his team-mates.
"Let's be honest: we held a meeting when we heard the news," Tielemans said.
"We told ourselves we needed to do our talking on the pitch. That's what we did today. I'm very proud of the team," the Aston Villa midfielder told Belgium's RTBF broadcaster.
The defeat capped a tumultuous 24 hours for the World Cup co-hosts, who were lifted by Fifa's shock reprieve of Balogun on Sunday -- a decision which brought widespread condemnation across the football world.
Belgium football chiefs had challenged Balogun's eligibility for the game earlier on Monday but saw their appeal dismissed out of hand by Fifa.
Belgium will face Spain in Los Angeles on Friday for a place in the semifinals.