FIFA suspends US Soccer staff ahead of World Cup round‑of‑16 clash with Belgium

FIFA barred two United States men’s national team officials—team manager Sam Zapatka and vice‑president of security Frank Pannell— from the round‑of‑16 match against Belgium, citing a breach of tournament regulations during the group stage. The federation did not release detailed reasons and said it was cooperating with FIFA, while the U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter will have to adjust his technical staff for the knockout game. The suspension applies only to the match at Rio de Janeiro’s Maracanã stadium and marks the first time FIFA has suspended team personnel before a World Cup knockout round.

The United States entered the match after finishing second in its group, but Belgium, the group winners, defeated the U.S. 4‑1, ending America’s 2026 World Cup campaign. The incident occurred alongside other disciplinary matters, including the overturning of forward Folarin Balogun’s red‑card suspension, which allowed him to play in the same fixture.