The United States was bracing for a World Cup round-of-16 match against Belgium without star striker Folarin Balogun. The team had accepted that Balogun’s straight red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina in their last match, which ended in a 2-0 victory, meant an automatic one-game suspension. FIFA officials previously informed The Athletic that the suspension was unappealable.
However, contrary to expectations, FIFA announced on Sunday that Balogun would play against Belgium. This decision was confirmed by U.S. Soccer, stating, “The implementation of the match suspension is suspended for a probationary period of one year.” The controversial red card was given for a foul against Bosnia’s Tarik Muharemovic, drawing immediate criticism from U.S. head coach Mauricio Pochettino and winger Christian Pulisic.
FIFA’s disciplinary committee, with the authority to alter bans, decided on the suspension’s conditional delay. This reversal sparked reactions at high levels. U.S. President Donald Trump expressed gratitude on Truth Social, saying, “Thank you to FIFA for doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice!”
“I thought it was AI.”
Balogun’s teammates discovered the news while on the team bus heading to training at the University of Washington. Christian Pulisic commented, “Obviously, for us it gives us a boost. If you look at the foul, it had zero intent. There were worse incidents in this tournament. Balo handled it well, and so did the team.”
Chris Richards, another U.S. player, noted the reaction. He mentioned confusion initially, “I think a lot of us thought it was AI at first, but we’re really excited. We found out through social media.” The team struggled to confirm the news until reaching their training location.
Balogun’s foul, reviewed through video assistance, resulted in a straight red card, as captured by Getty Images. Richards mentioned, “I think he’s keeping it cool right now, but he’s very excited.” Alex Freeman added, “Finding out he’s available gives us extra confidence. We’re just happy.”
Pulisic expressed relief about Balogun’s availability. “We were prepared to play without him. Now we’re granted the chance to have him, which is great. I’m mostly happy for him. Seeing that smile, he deserves to be in this game.”
“FIFA is literally a law unto itself.”
Negative reactions also surfaced. The Belgian federation labeled the decision “astonishing” and contradictory to competition rules. They are considering further options, stating the reversal contradicts fair play principles.
Graham Scott, a former Premier League referee, criticized FIFA’s inconsistency. He cited a previous incident involving Qatari player Assim Madibo, whose ban was upgraded for a similar foul. Scott emphasized that players should be assessed based on their actions, rather than mere consequences.
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