Folarin Balogun will be eligible to play for the United States in the World Cup round of 16 match against Belgium after FIFA suspended his one-match ban. The 25-year-old striker received a straight red card for a foul on Bosnian defender Tarik Muharemovic during the hosts’ 2-0 victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina in the round of 32. Initially, he was suspended and could not play in the round of 16. But FIFA announced that the automatic one-match suspension will be suspended for a year. The governing body offered no explanation beyond citing a rule that allows certain sanctions to be suspended.
The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) said it was “surprised” by FIFA’s decision and is “studying all possible options” in response. “In accordance with Article 27 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, the execution of the match suspension is suspended for a probationary period of one year,” FIFA said in a statement. “If Folarin Balogun commits another infringement of a similar nature and gravity during that probationary period, the suspension will be reactivated and the sanction will be applied without prejudice to any additional punishment imposed for the new infringement.”
US President Donald Trump thanked FIFA for “reversing a great injustice” in a post on Truth Social. Trump, a friend of FIFA President Gianni Infantino, wrote: “Thank you to FIFA for doing the right thing and reversing a great injustice! President DONALD J. TRUMP.” AFP and Reuters report that Trump called Infantino earlier this week to request a review of the red card. The BBC has not yet been able to confirm those reports.
US midfielder Christian Pulisic said the team learned of the suspension’s suspension while traveling by bus to Sunday’s training and said Balogun was “very happy.” Pulisic added: “He had a big smile on his face, same as all of us. The foul was not that bad, the decision was excessive.”
The Belgian Football Federation (RBFA) stressed that all previous red cards shown in this World Cup had automatically resulted in a suspension and that FIFA’s decision “directly” contradicts the competition regulations, which the governing body “explicitly reaffirmed” to all participating federations in May. The federation added: “In order to protect the legitimate rights of all participating teams and safeguard the fundamental principles of fair play in our sport, both in this FIFA World Cup and in future editions of the tournament, the RBFA is studying all possible options.”
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also called for the decision to be reviewed. Asked at a press conference about the performance of the US national team in the World Cup, Rubio replied: “It was fantastic. They were hurt by that red card. There should be an appeal process for cases like this. It’s probably too late for that now.”
Beyond the political sphere, the expulsion of one of the team’s key figures has also caused widespread discontent among American fans. Numerous media outlets have questioned both the referee’s decision and the way football applies its sanctions, forcing the expelled player to leave the field and also serve a suspension in a subsequent match. Balogun has been a key player for the United States in this World Cup. The striker scored two goals for Mauricio Pochettino‘s team in the 4-1 victory over Paraguay that started the tournament. The former Arsenal player also opened the scoring against Bosnia-Herzegovina before being sent off in the 64th minute after contesting a lofted ball with Muharemovic. While trying to shield the ball, Muharemovic got ahead of him and when Balogun’s foot returned to the ground, it ended up on the back of the Bosnian defender’s ankle, causing a twist. Brazilian referee Raphael Claus showed the red card after reviewing the play on the pitchside monitor, following a recommendation from the video assistant referee (VAR), which showed him a slow-motion replay of the incident.
According to FIFA regulations, a red card “automatically carries a suspension for the next match,” although the governing body can also impose additional sanctions and other disciplinary measures. During the group stage of this World Cup, Qatari midfielder Assim Madibo had his suspension extended from one to five matches for a tackle on Canadian Ismaël Koné, who suffered a broken leg. However, there are recent precedents of suspended World Cup sanctions by FIFA. Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo was allowed to play in his team’s opening match of the tournament despite a red card he had received against the Republic of Ireland during World Cup qualifying. The striker, now 41, was sent off for an elbow to the back of Dara O’Shea during Portugal’s 2-0 defeat in November and initially received a three-match ban. But after serving one match suspension against Armenia, FIFA suspended the remainder of the ban for one year on November 25, allowing Ronaldo to play in Portugal’s first two matches of the World Cup.
By Dale Johnson, BBC Football Affairs Correspondent. On Thursday, Balogun became the 12th player to receive a red card in this World Cup. He will be the first not to serve a suspension. FIFA’s decision to effectively revoke his expulsion against Bosnia-Herzegovina is extraordinary. Unlike in the Premier League, there is no appeal process against a red card in the World Cup. It is a system designed to protect the authority and integrity of refereeing decisions. Many will point to the case of Cristiano Ronaldo, who served only one of the three-match ban he received after being sent off for violent conduct during qualifying. That is a valid argument, but there are also numerous precedents of leniency by FIFA before the start of a tournament. This is different. It is a red card shown during a World Cup. Suddenly, the host nation’s biggest star is available for a crucial knockout match. In the United States, an intense media campaign was launched to get the sanction overturned. And that now raises the real question: how was the decision made? FIFA has offered no details. Trump has thanked FIFA on social media, saying a “great injustice” was corrected. Given the well-known closeness between the White House and FIFA, the unusual decision favoring one of the host countries will surely raise questions. Compare the case with that of Qatari Assim Madibo, sent off for a tackle that broke Canadian midfielder Ismaël Koné’s leg. That action seemed an unfortunate accident, but Madibo received a five-match ban. All this leaves the impression that FIFA makes decisions on the fly.
