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As a Fifa media officer read aloud the statement confirming the governing body’s shock reversal of US striker Folarin Balogun’s suspension on Sunday, Belgium coach Rudi Garcia and goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois put their poker faces to work. Garcia stared straight down the aisle of the press conference room at Seattle Stadium. Courtois’s eyes fluttered about, perhaps masking some rolls as he faced a press pack eager to make sense of an unexpected World Cup twist.

Balogun’s reinstatement came across as a joke to the Belgian boss, though he hardly seemed ready for a laugh.

“I didn’t know that 5 July was equal to 1 April [April Fools’ Day] at Fifa,” Garcia said in his native French. “I think we should refer to the [statement] of my federation, the Belgian federation. I think a lot of things are in it. The federation does not defend itself, it does not defend the national team – it defends football in general. It defends its integrity. It defends its ethics.”

In that statement released Sunday, the Belgian federation dove deeper into the disciplinary code in response to Fifa’s citation of Article 27 to justify the change in Balogun’s punishment. Fifa had previously used Article 27 to clear Cristiano Ronaldo to start Portugal’s opening World Cup game after he received a red card in a November qualifier.

“The Royal Belgian Football Association [RBFA] is astonished by Fifa’s decision to declare suspended United States player Folarin Balogun eligible to play,” it said. “In order to safeguard the legitimate rights of all participating teams and to protect the fundamental principles of fair play in our sport, both at this FIFA World Cup and at future editions of the tournament, the RBFA is investigating all potential options.”

When asked if it was fair to Belgium’s preparations to make such a change on the eve of a knockout match, Courtois demurred.

“That’s a question for the football world, not for me as a player,” the goalkeeper said. “Of course it surprises you a bit, especially because it’s the day before the game. If the day after the game it’s already decided, you can adjust to it. But as a player group, we have to win the game on the field. He’s a good player, but we have to win against the whole of America. For us as a group of players, we are going to do our thing on the field. We deserve it with our football and we want to win.”

Several hours earlier, the US squad learned of Balogun’s eligibility via social media reports. The news initially seemed too good to be true.

“I think a lot of us thought it was AI at first,” defender Chris Richards said with a chuckle of disbelief. “We know that we’re more than just one player and more than 11 – we’re a full team, and we’re a very strong team. We still know that whoever’s playing tomorrow, we’re going to throw in a good performance.”

Richards, Alex Freeman and Christian Pulisic fielded questions Sunday at US training in Seattle, all three speaking with considerable levity and relief. The nature of Fifa’s about-face remains a murky subject – the Guardian understands the White House lobbied Fifa to lift Balogun’s ban – but the players remained focused on the last-16 clash.

“I don’t know, personnel changes all the time, right?” Pulisic said. “We don’t know who’s going to play for them up top either tomorrow. Things change. Obviously now, hearing that, they’re going to have to be ready for different options.”