FIFA has suspended the red card U.S. striker Folarin Balogun received in the team’s match against Bosnia-Herzegovina, making him available to face Belgium in the round of 16 at the World Cup.
In a statement on its website, FIFA said: “By operation of Article 27 FDC, the implementation of the automatic match suspension for USA player Folarin Balogun is suspended for a probationary period of one [1] year.”
The U.S. will take on Belgium on Monday night at 8 p.m. ET in Seattle, seeking to advance to its first World Cup quarterfinal appearance since 2002.
A statement by U.S. Soccer said: “We accept the decision of the Disciplinary Committee and are pleased that Folarin Balogun is eligible to compete tomorrow.
“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.”
U.S. President Donald Trump also weighed in on the matter, saying on Truth Social:
“Thank you to FIFA for doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice!”
The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) also put out a statement that said they were shocked by the decision:
“The Royal Belgian Football Association astonished by FIFA’s decision to declare suspended United States player Folarin Balogun eligible to play in the USA-Belgium match on Monday, 6 July at 5:00 p.m. [Seattle time.]
“FIFA bases its decision on Article 27 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code. This provision states that the FIFA Disciplinary Committee may decide to suspend the enforcement of a previously imposed disciplinary sanction.
“However, Article 66.4 of the same FIFA Disciplinary Code clearly provides that a red card [sending-off] automatically results in a suspension for the team’s next match, as has been the case for all previous red cards issued during this FIFA World Cup.
“Furthermore, and irrespective of the above, the decision is in direct contradiction with the provisions of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Competition Regulations, as set out in Article 10.5: ‘If a player or team official is sent off as a result of a direct or indirect red card [second caution,] they will automatically be suspended from their team’s subsequent match. In addition, further sanctions may be imposed.'”
“The automatic nature of such a suspension was also explicitly reaffirmed in FIFA World Cup 2026 Circular No. 16, which was distributed to all participating member associations on 12 May 2026.
“The same rule is reiterated at every FIFA World Cup 2026 Match Coordination Meeting prior to each match and is included in all FIFA World Cup 2026 workshop presentations.
“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.”
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Balogun scored the U.S.’s opening goal in the 45th minute of its 2-0 win over Bosnia-Herzegovina in the round of 32 on Wednesday. But he was then sent off in the 64th minute for what was deemed a bad challenge on defender Tarik Muharemovic.
On Friday, Balogun said he felt the decision was unfair given that he and Muharemovic were battling for position.
“If you played the game, you would understand there’s scenarios that you simply can’t avoid and it has to be taken into context when it’s being reviewed,” Balogun said.
