FIFA Suspends Two U.S. Soccer Team Staff Members During World Cup

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — During the World Cup round of 16 soccer match against Belgium, U.S. head coach Mauricio Pochettino observed from the sidelines in Seattle on Monday, July 6, 2026. Meanwhile, FIFA took disciplinary action against two staff members of the United States soccer team, suspending them from the game.

Although FIFA did not disclose the reasons behind the suspensions of team manager Sam Zapatka and U.S. Soccer Federation vice president of security Frank Pannell, the U.S. Soccer Federation clarified that the suspensions were unrelated to the successful appeal to lift forward Folarin Balogun’s one-game red-card suspension.

Sam Zapatka has served as the administrative manager for the team since 2020 and has been with the U.S. Soccer Federation since 2015. Unfortunately, the United States faced elimination from the World Cup, losing 4-1 to Belgium.

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