Folarin Balogun will be available to play the USMNT’s World Cup round-of-16 match against Belgium after his one-game red-card ban was suspended, FIFA has confirmed.
The 25-year-old striker received a straight red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday for a foul on defender Tarik Muharemovic, a sanction which is automatically accompanied by a one-game suspension under Article 10.5 of FIFA’s rules for the tournament.
Multiple FIFA officials told The Athletic after the game that a team is not able to appeal against a red card or the subsequent suspension.
However, Balogun is set to be available for the game at Lumen Field in Seattle on Monday as his ban has been suspended.
FIFA confirmed Balogun’s eligibility to play after The Athletic exclusively revealed the news earlier on Sunday afternoon.
A statement from the governing body and World Cup organizer read: “In line with article 27 of the FIFA disciplinary code, the implementation of the match suspension is suspended for a probationary period of one year.
“If Folarin 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.”
‘Thank you FIFA for reversing a great injustice!’ How Trump, teammates reacted to Balogun’s reversed red card ‘Thank you FIFA for reversing a great injustice!’ How Trump, teammates reacted to Balogun’s reversed red card Balogun's U.S. teammates said they found about it on the bus to training. "I thought it was AI at first," defender Chris Richards said.
“Thank you to FIFA for doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice!” U.S. President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social after the news had broken.
Players found out about the change on the team bus to training at University of Washington on Sunday. “Obviously for us it gives us a boost,” star player Christian Pulisic told reporters.
“We weren’t quite sure if it was true or not. I think everyone knows with AI … We ultimately found out on social media. It was cool to get confirmation it was true,” defender Chris Richards said. Balogun’s reaction was “Lit,” Richards said with a laugh.
U.S. Soccer said it “accepted” and was “pleased” with the decision. “Our full attention is focused on the round of 16 match against Belgium in Seattle, and we look forward to the continued support of our amazing fans,” it added in a statement.
The Belgian federation said it was “astonished” by the decision, that it was in “direct contradiction” with the competition regulations and said it is exploring “all potential options”.
The statement from the Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) continued: “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.”