FIFA, the International Federation of Association Football, has decided to amend Article 27 of its Disciplinary Code after the storm whipped up by the case of American forward Folarin Balogun.
Balogun played in a World Cup match despite being sent off in the previous one. The Belgian Football Association objected and demanded official clarification of how it had happened.
According to French network RMC, the Belgians reopened the file at Thursday's FIFA Council meeting in Zurich, roughly three months after Belgium faced the United States, one of the tournament's co-hosts.
FIFA have agreed to amend the controversial article, the Belgian association confirmed, with the proposed change going before the FIFA Council at its next meeting for approval.
Balogun affair raises doubts over the application of the regulations
It all started when Balogun was sent off in the United States' round of 16 clash with Bosnia and Herzegovina, a game the Americans won 2-0.
A red card normally brings an automatic one-match ban, with the possibility of a longer punishment later. Balogun's suspension was lifted instead, clearing him to face Belgium in the quarter-finals.
Belgium won that one 4-1, but Balogun's presence on the pitch after a dismissal raised questions about the legal basis for the decision, particularly amid talk that US President Donald Trump had intervened with FIFA president Gianni Infantino over the matter.
Trump publicly admitted his involvement, despite FIFA regulations that guarantee the independence of its bodies and ban political interference in the federation's affairs.
Justifying the decision, FIFA leaned on Article 27 of its Disciplinary Code, which allows the Disciplinary Committee to suspend the enforcement of a sanction already issued.
The chairman of the Disciplinary Committee had tried to explain in an earlier statement how Balogun's automatic ban became a suspended sanction. It did not stop the questions about the exceptional circumstances behind it.
Belgian association demands clear answers from FIFA
At Thursday's FIFA Council meeting, Pascale Van Damme, president of the Belgian Football Association and a FIFA Council member, tabled three questions about the case, demanding clarity on the decision-making process and guarantees that it would not happen again.
The questions submitted by the Belgian association were as follows:
1- Can FIFA guarantee that there was no interference, from any quarter, in the disciplinary proceedings relating to the case, given that US President Donald Trump has publicly acknowledged his intervention?
2- What were the exceptional circumstances surrounding the Balogun case, and what criteria were applied when Article 27 was invoked in similar cases?
3- Can FIFA guarantee the right of member associations to have their views heard regarding all decisions taken by its disciplinary bodies in the future?
FIFA insisted the disciplinary bodies act independently, according to the Belgian association's statement, while also accepting that Article 27 needs amending and that work on redrafting the regulations is required.
Amendment to Article 27 to be put before the next FIFA Council
The Belgian association's statement read: "FIFA confirmed that all decisions are taken independently by the disciplinary bodies. In response to these questions, FIFA also confirmed that Article 27 will be amended, and that work is under way on amending the regulations."
It went on: "The proposed amendment will be put forward for approval at the next meeting of the FIFA Council. It was also recorded that FIFA's administration will come back to the specific circumstances of the Balogun case."
Van Damme welcomed the move as progress, especially given that the Belgians had demanded the change back in July.
She said: "FIFA's confirmation that Article 27 will be amended, in response to the request we already submitted in July, represents an important step."
Van Damme added: "The proposed amendment, along with clarification of the specific circumstances of the Balogun case, will be presented in Doha. But the matter does not end there for us. We do not only want the rules to be amended, we also want clarity on how they are applied."
Transparency, legal certainty and good governance should underpin every decision taken in international football, the Belgian association president concluded, stressing that her federation will keep following the case closely.