FIFA Suspends Balogun Red-Card Suspension, Making Him Available vs Belgium

Folarin Balogun will be available for the U.S. men’s national team’s World Cup round-of-16 match against Belgium after FIFA suspended the implementation of his one-game red-card suspension for a probationary period of one year.

The Athletic reported that Balogun’s straight red card came after a foul on defender Tarik Muharemovic during the U.S. 2-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina, a sanction that is automatically accompanied by a one-game suspension under Article 10.5 of FIFA’s rules for the tournament.

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FIFA said the implementation of the match suspension is suspended for a probationary period of one year, and 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.

U.S. Soccer said it “accepted” and was “pleased” with the decision, adding that “Our full attention is focused on the round of 16 match against Belgium in Seattle.”

Belgium’s federation said it was “astonished” by the decision, calling it in “direct contradiction” with competition regulations and saying it is exploring “all potential options.”

President Donald Trump said he asked FIFA president Gianni Infantino to review Balogun’s suspension, posting on Truth Social: “Thank you to FIFA for doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice!”

The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) said it learned of FIFA’s ruling through media reports and that “No information whatsoever was provided by FIFA,” while also insisting it has “no choice but to challenge the player’s eligibility for the upcoming match.”

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FIFA later rejected Belgium’s challenge, saying the request was “rendered inadmissible on the grounds that the RBFA is not a party to the proceedings and, as such, has no standing to appeal the decision.”

ABC News reported that U.S. captain Tim Ream called the reversal a “boost of positivity” ahead of Monday’s match against Belgium.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino said in a statement that he spoke with Trump and “explained that there was an ongoing legal process involving FIFA’s independent judicial bodies.”

The reversal cleared Balogun to play in Monday’s Round of 16 match against Belgium in Seattle, with the U.S. preparing to face the Belgian federation after FIFA lifted the suspension for the tournament’s knockout stage.

Belgium’s federation said it was “deeply concerned by the course of events” and pledged to fight in the “coming hours, days and months” in defense of “the fundamental principles of ethics, fair competition, and the interests of football as a whole.”

UEFA said the decision undermined the certainty of rules, warning that “the integrity of the game is at stake and the credibility of a competition is undermined.”

The European Commission’s sport commissioner Glenn Micallef said decisions “on sporting rules and sporting matters belong to sporting bodies, not politicians,” adding that “Influencing sporting decisions would undermine the autonomy of sport.”

In the U.S., Tim Ream told “Good Morning America” that Balogun was excited to contribute on the field rather than “be a cheerleader,” as the team focused on the Round of 16 against Belgium.