As the announcer called out his name in the lineup, Eliezer Alfonzo hugged fellow Venezuelan Miguel Rojas before the catcher walked down the dugout to greet his teammates and coaches. The two had written messages on their caps in silver ink: On Alfonzo’s, “EyP, RIP,” the initials of his stepmother Patricia and his younger sister Eliana. On Rojas’, a cross was drawn next to “Alfonzo” and below “Fuerza Matatan.” In other words, stay strong, Matatan, the nickname given to Alfonzo’s father, the former major league catcher Eliezer “El Matatán” Alfonzo.

An unimaginable weight rested on his shoulders when Alfonzo stepped into the batter’s box to a standing ovation. Alfonzo’s stepmother and sister were reportedly found dead after the earthquakes in Venezuela last month.

Alfonzo went 0-for-2 in an otherwise quiet Dodgers 5-2 loss to the Padres, though even in that performance, he found moments to reflect. His sister, he said after the game, had a dream that she refused to tell him until it came true.

“I’m pretty sure the dream was something about this. I wish she was alive to watch me play in the big leagues,” Alfonzo said. “But I know she’s in God’s side now, and she’s gonna protect me, and she’s gonna enjoy every moment that I’m gonna have.”

He honored his family’s loss by playing as if his sister were sitting in the stands. Because if she were here, he said, she would be yelling from the stands, “Hit the ball hard!”

The Dodgers catcher had previously clung to hope that the two, who had been reported missing, would be found. His father had searched tirelessly for them, his hope bolstered when he found the family’s dog alive. Alfonzo’s father stayed in the country, searching, when the Dodgers called his son to let him know he’d join the team.

The series finale with the Padres should’ve been a happy day. Most players who have toiled in the minor league system debut in front of applauding friends and family. Instead, Alfonzo’s first appearance, the culmination of nine tireless years, was somber , stricken by the grief overshadowing what should’ve been a joyous moment in the Dodgers’ to the Padres.

Even manager Dave Roberts was lost for words.

“After today, it’s going to really hit him,” Roberts said. “All of us feel for him and his father, who I know, their family. It’s devastating.”

Alfonzo never considered not playing today, despite the personal tragedy. He’s spoken with his brother and his father in Venezuela, who asked him to play in the series finale for his sister. His agent, girlfriend and teammates, like Rojas, also helped Alfonzo approach the game calmly.

“What happened, unfortunately, is out of my hands and part of life,” he said in Spanish. “Only God knows why they happen. I went out there to honor my sister and my stepmother, and give my best in a difficult moment. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get the win, but you have to keep moving forward.”

Rojas, who spoke through reddened, teary eyes after the game, knows the family well. He learned from and played against Alfonzo’s father in Venezuelan winter ball. And, in a country struck by tragedy, this loss felt close to home.

“Everybody in Venezuela loves his dad,” Rojas said. “It’s really tough right now to put into context and to put into words. Just for him to be here today and making the decision that he was going to fulfill his childhood dream of playing in the big leagues, thinking about that and thinking about them and what happened over there and what his dad has to be going through right now by himself in Venezuela, it’s really tough.

“For me, I’m just going to support the whole family and especially Eliezer, because I know how hard it is to play like that. It’s been hard for me. Nothing happened to one of my family members, but as soon as I heard the news about them, it hit me as hard as if it were my family. I consider Eliezer Alfonso Sr. one of my close friends in baseball.”

In a way, playing baseball helps bring happiness to those going through tragedy, Rojas said. He knows because he’s lost both his parents, but his family still asks him to play.

“This is how I make a lot of people happy in my family and people who know me,” he said. “This is not just my job. This is who I am.”

Against the Padres, Rojas helped break a five-inning hitless streak for the Dodgers (59-32), who lead MLB in batting average (.265), with a single in the fifth. However, by then, the team had already found itself in a hole.

Emmet Sheehan gave up an RBI single to Padres’ center fielder Jackson Merrill in the fourth inning. In the fifth, he pitched himself into a jam, giving up a successive walk and double that put two runners in scoring position. With no room for error, Sheehan was quickly replaced by Jack Dreyer, who escaped the inning scoreless.

Sheehan (4-6) has now had five straight starts that lasted no more than five innings. But, having given up only one earned run in the series closer to the Padres (44-45), Sheehan’s start could be viewed as a step in the right direction: only three hits and five strikeouts.

“I thought the first three innings were great,” Roberts said. “They really were. I thought the stuff was up, he was on the attack, you’re getting the swing-and-miss, getting the soft contact, he was great.”

However, emotions remained high on both sides. San Diego’s manager Craig Stammen and coach Ryan Goins were ejected three pitches into the game after arguing a check-swing call. The ejection seemed to spark the Padres back from a season-high eight-game losing streak, though the Dodgers didn’t make the win easy at times.

The pressure ratcheted up in the sixth when Shohei Ohtani and Andy Pages worked walks off Yuki Matsui, who replaced JP Sears. The Padres switched pitchers again before Mookie Betts’ two-out at-bat, and the move paid off. Betts hit a routine flyball, and the inning — and the Dodgers’ momentum — ended.

After scoring in the fourth, San Diego extended its lead in the seventh courtesy of Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado. Tatis Jr. beat out a throw from Rojas to Freddie Freeman, driving in one run. And though the Dodgers challenged, the call was upheld. Then, two batters later, reliever Kyle Hurt threw a four-seam fastball down the middle of the plate, and Machado rocketed the pitch to the center field wall beyond the grasp of a leaping Pages.

The Dodgers clawed back two runs in the seventh. Alex Freeland drove in one on a line-drive RBI-single. Ohtani added another one. Neither was enough to win, though it ensured the Dodgers weren’t blanked.

Shohei Ohtani loses his bat during the third inning Sunday.

(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)

Still, the game’s result seemed minuscule when stacked against Alfonso’s personal tragedy and the earthquake’s destruction in Venezuela. And, as the country and its people begin to piece together the full toll of the destruction amid the rubble, the notion of playing baseball seems absurd in the wake of such tragedy.

“It’s not always easy, but sometimes getting on the field, competing, life goes to the wayside,” Roberts said. “And you can just compete and do your job, and that’s sort of a blessing. But yeah, to play every day, and to have to perform, it’s pressure in itself.”

But for the men who have only known how to play baseball since they were young, there’s little else to do.

“That’s the worst feeling, feeling selfish of being here and playing, and we look out there like we’re having fun and we’re laughing,” Rojas said. “At the end, when I put my head to bed after everything is over, after the show is over, it’s really hard to go to sleep. I’m pretty sure a lot of Venezuelans are going through the same thing.”

Belgium is crying foul after FIFA cleared USMNT star Folarin Balogun before Monday’s World Cup Round of 16 showdown in Seattle.

The Royal Belgian Football Association released a statement on the overturned suspension, saying they were “stunned by FIFA’s decision to declare suspended American player Folarin Balogun eligible to play,” arguing the ruling violates both the FIFA Disciplinary Code and World Cup regulations.

The federation concluded by saying it is “considering all possible options” to protect “the legitimate rights of all participating teams and preserve the fundamental principles of fair play.”

FIFA MAKES FINAL RULING ON US SOCCER STAR FOLARIN BALOGUN’S CONTROVERSIAL RED CARD SUSPENSION

FIFA, however, wasn’t persuaded.

“Pursuant to article 27 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, the application of the automatic suspension of American player Folarin Balogun is suspended for a probationary period of one (1) year,” the FIFA Disciplinary Committee said in an official statement.

The ruling means Balogun, who was sent off against Bosnia and Herzegovina, is eligible to face Belgium on Monday night.

USA WORLD CUP STAR CALLS LACK OF APPEAL PROCESS FOR TEAMMATE’S RED CARD ‘BOGUS’

President Trump celebrated the ruling on Truth Social, thanking FIFA “for doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice!” Trump also praised Balogun’s reinstatement and predicted a strong performance from the Americans against Belgium.

It’s not hard to see why Belgium wanted Balogun sidelined. The American striker leads the United States with three goals this tournament.

Balogun scored against Bosnia and Herzegovina before being shown a red card in the 64th minute after a VAR review upgraded the challenge.

FORMER TEAM USA STAR WANTS TO SEE RED CARD RULE CHANGE AFTER FOLARIN BALOGUN CONTROVERSY

The dismissal immediately sparked debate among fans and pundits, many of whom believed the punishment was overly harsh.

The U.S. learned of FIFA’s decision while arriving for Sunday morning training in the Seattle area.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Belgium enters Monday’s Round of 16 match ranked No. 9 in the FIFA World Rankings after handing the United States a 5-2 loss in a March friendly.

But World Cup knockout soccer is a different animal.

Come kickoff Monday night in Seattle, Balogun will be exactly where Belgium hoped he wouldn’t be: on the field.

FULL STATEMENT

“The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) is stunned by FIFA’s decision to declare suspended American player Folarin Balogun eligible to play in the United States-Belgium match scheduled for Monday, July 6 at 5 p.m. (Seattle time).

“FIFA bases its decision on article 27 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code. This provision states that the FIFA Disciplinary Committee may decide to suspend the application of a previously imposed disciplinary sanction.

“However, article 66.4 of the same FIFA Disciplinary Code clearly provides that a red card (sending-off) automatically results in a suspension for the team’s next match, as has been the case for all red cards shown earlier during this FIFA World Cup.

“Moreover, and independently of the above, this decision directly contradicts the provisions of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Regulations, as set out in article 10.5:

“‘If a player or team official is sent off as a result of a direct or indirect red card (second caution), he will be automatically suspended for his team’s next match. In addition, further sanctions may be imposed.’

“The automatic nature of such a suspension was also explicitly reaffirmed in FIFA World Cup 2026 circular no. 16, which was distributed to all participating member associations on May 12, 2026.

“This rule is reiterated at every FIFA World Cup 2026 match coordination meeting before each game and appears in all workshop presentations dedicated to the FIFA World Cup 2026.

“In order to safeguard the legitimate rights of all participating teams and preserve the fundamental principles of fair play in our sport, both during this FIFA World Cup and in future editions of the tournament, the RBFA is considering all possible options.”

Send us your thoughts: alejandro.avila@outkick.com / Follow along on X: @alejandroaveela

SEATTLE — Chris Richards said he first heard teammate Folarin Balogun had been cleared to play in Monday’s World Cup elimination game while on the team bus, heading to a morning training session at the University of Washington.

“We found out through social media,” Richards said Sunday. “There’s a lot of people posting a lot of stuff, so we weren’t sure if it was true or not.”

In this case, it was. FIFA announced Sunday morning, about 30 hours before the U.S. was scheduled to play Belgium in the Round of 16 game, that the one-game suspension Balogun had received for a dangerous challenge in last week’s win over Bosnia and Herzegovina is being held in abeyance, making him eligible to play in what is arguably the team’s most important game in at least a generation.

“Really excited, obviously, for him to have this opportunity,” Christian Pulisic said. “He’s our leading scorer in the tournament. He’s a big part of this team. So of course you want a guy like that around.”

President Trump celebrated the reversal on his social media platform while the New York Times, citing three unnamed people familiar with the conversation, reported that Trump spoke personally with FIFA President Gianni Infantino last week and asked him to rescind the red card. Balogun, born to Nigerian parents who live in England, is only eligible to play for the U.S. through birthright citizenship, a principle Trump unsuccessfully asked the Supreme Court to overturn last month.

The Belgium team was not as happy with the country’s soccer federation saying it was “astonished” by the ruling and “investigating all potential options” to block it and “safeguard the legitimate rights of all participating teams and to protect the fundamental principles of fair in our sport.” It was unclear what those options might be.

“I didn’t know the game was being played on April Fool’s Day rather than July 6,” Belgian coach Rudi Garcia said. “We’re not defending the national team or federation. We are defending football.”

No American since 1930 had scored three times in a World Cup before Balogun’s first-half goal in a 2-0 over Bosnia in the round of 32. That was the team’s first victory in a World Cup knockout game since 2002 and in the three U.S. wins in this tournament, Balogun has either scored or set up the game-winning goal.

But early in the second half of the Bosnia game, he collided with Tarik Muharemovic and when the Bosnian defender planted his right leg below Balogun’s right foot, the American inadvertently stomped on his right ankle, twisting it awkwardly.

Both players went down, but Brazilian referee Raphael Claus did not initially penalize either. After the video assistant referee urged him to watch a replay, however, Claus walked away from the monitor and flashed the red card at Balogun, a judgment many immediately deemed overly harsh.

FIFA ultimately agreed, suspending the disqualification Sunday.

“In line with article 27 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, the implementation of the match suspension is suspended for a probationary period of one year,” it wrote in a statement. “If Folarin Balogun commits another infringement of a similar nature and gravity during the probationary period, the suspension shall be revoked and the sanction enforced without prejudice to any additional sanction imposed for the new infringement.”

For Pulisic, that was justice.

“It just feels right,” he said.

“If you look at the foul, it’s zero intent. There were much worse ones that went on this tournament.”

Balogun action’s after the questionable foul may also have inspired FIFA’s leniency. After the final whistle of the Bosnia game, he walked to the center of the field and shook hands with Claus, then politely took ownership of the incident in his first public remarks two days later.

“I think a yellow card would have been fair,” he said last Friday. “[But] it’s something that’s happened, so we have to move forward, and I have to accept it.”

Pulisic applauded his teammate’s humility.

“Balo handled it so well, and I think the team handled it well,” he said. “We weren’t here to complain. You have to handle it in a good way, and you know good things happen.”

U.S. Soccer, which had remained engaged with FIFA since the was suspension, issued its own statement.

“We accept the decision of the Disciplinary Committee and are pleased that Folarin Balogun is eligible to compete tomorrow,” it read in part. ”Our full attention is focused on the Round of 16 match against Belgium.”

Balogun is not the first person to have a penalty rescinded by FIFA. Portugal’s Crisitiano Ronaldo was given a straight red card and a three-game international ban after swinging an elbow at Irish defender Dara O’Shea during a World Cup qualifier last fall. But after Ronaldo sat out a qualifier with Armenia, FIFA converted the rest of the penalty into a one-year probation, clearing the Portuguese captain to play in the World Cup.

But it’s the first time FIFA has lifted a suspension during the World Cup since 1962, when Brazilian attacker Garrincha was allowed to play in the final after his nation’s government intervened. Garrincha, who tied for the scoring lead with four goals and was named the best player of that tournament, had been sent off in the semifinal after kicking Chile’s Eladio Rojas.

Brazil, with Garrincha, defeated Czechoslovakia 3-1 in the title game.

If Balogun had missed Monday’s game, the U.S. would likely have replaced him with Ricardo Pepi or Haji Wright, but the dropoff would have been significant. Balogun not only tops the U.S. in goals but he has has a team-leading 11 shots and four shots on target in 223 minutes. Pepi and Wright, who have combined for 186 minutes, do not have a goal or shot in the tournament.

Balogun is also good at holding up the ball, buying time to let his teammates join the attack. That’s a skill the U.S. will need against a smart, veteran Belgium team that has warmed into the World Cup, scoring eight times in its last two games.

The U.S. has beaten Belgium just once, in the 1930 World Cup. The last meeting was a March friendly that Belgium won 5-2 and the last time they faced off in the World Cup, in the round of 16 in 2014, Belgium won in extra time in a game in which American keeper Tim Howard made a tournament-record 16 saves.

Kevin DeBruyne and Romelu Lukaku scored while Thibaut Courtois nine saves in goal for Belgium that day. All three are still on the team and played in Belgium’s Round-of-32 win over Senegal in this World Cup last week. No one on the U.S. roster for that 2014 game has played internationally since 2023.