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Balogun ban reversed
Folarin Balogun will be available for the United States men’s national team’s World Cup round-of-16 match against Belgium at Seattle Stadium on Monday after FIFA suspended his one-game red-card ban.
Balogun had been sent off with a straight red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the USA’s World Cup round of 32 match on Wednesday, a sanction that was automatically accompanied by a one-game suspension under Article 10.5 of FIFA’s rules for the tournament.
FIFA said the implementation of the match suspension is suspended for a probationary period of one year, and if Balogun commits another infringement of a similar nature and gravity during that probationary period, the suspension shall be revoked and the sanction enforced.
The reversal was tied to FIFA Disciplinary Code Chapter 4, Article 27, which the governing body used to suspend the implementation of disciplinary measures rather than rescind the red card itself.
The decision left Belgium’s federation “astonished” and exploring “all potential options,” while the USMNT learned of the change via social media on the team bus to training at University of Washington on Sunday.
Trump call sparks uproar
Multiple outlets linked the reversal to a call involving U.S. President Donald Trump and FIFA president Gianni Infantino, with The New York Times reporting that Trump called Infantino “in the wake of Wednesday’s game to ask for a review into Balogun’s suspension.”
Trump then posted on Truth Social, writing, “Thank you to FIFA for doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice!”
Belgium’s response was immediate and legal-minded, with the Royal Belgian Football Association saying it was “astonished” and that it was investigating “all potential options.”
The Athletic reported that FIFA officials told it a team is not able to appeal against a red card or the subsequent suspension, even as FIFA confirmed Balogun’s eligibility after the reversal.
Al Jazeera framed the controversy around the idea that FIFA broke with its own rules to allow Balogun to face Belgium despite the red card in the Round of 32 match against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday.
What’s at stake next
FIFA’s rationale centered on Article 27’s probationary structure, meaning Balogun’s one-game suspension is not simply erased but delayed under a one-year probationary period.
FIFA’s statement said that if 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.
The Royal Belgian Football Association said its decision was “in direct contradiction” with the World Cup 2026 competition regulations and pointed to World Cup 2026 Circular No 16 distributed on 12 May 2026, according to The Guardian.
NBC Sports highlighted that the RBFA cited Article 66.4, saying “A sending-off automatically incurs suspension from the subsequent match,” while FIFA’s interpretation placed Article 27 above that automatic rule.
With the Round of 16 match now set for Monday at Seattle, Christian Pulisic told reporters, “Obviously for us it gives us a boost,” as the USMNT prepared to play Belgium with Balogun available after the suspension of the suspension.
