Mauricio Pochettino handed Folarin Balogun a spot in the starting lineup for the United States in its round-of-16 match with Belgium in the FIFA World Cup on Monday in Seattle.
Balogun had looked set to miss the game due to a suspension for a red card he received after a VAR review in the USMNT’s win over Bosnia-Herzegovina in the round of 32.
However, on Sunday FIFA suspended the red card for Balogun, placing him on a one-year probation instead and making him available to face Belgium.
On Monday, Pochettino picked Balogun in his starting XI, naming the exact same lineup as the U.S. fielded in the win over Bosnia as the Americans looked to reach the quarterfinals of a World Cup for the first time since 2002.
On the Belgium side, manager Rudi Garcia surprisingly left star players Jérémy Doku and Kevin De Bruyne out of his starting lineup. The two had featured prominently in Belgium’s first four games, except for the one game Doku missed when he returned home for the birth of his son.
Read more:Giuliani: U.S. involvement in Balogun red reversal won’t affect USMNT legacy
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.”
On Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed reports from Sunday that he had contacted FIFA boss Gianni Infantino to ask for details about the suspension and if there was a possibility the decision could be reviewed.
Belgium’s federation and Europe‘s soccer governing body UEFA were among the most vocal of the critics of the decision to suspend Balogun’s ban and allow him to play.
“The Royal Belgian Football Association is 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],” Belgium’s FA said in a statement Sunday.
Read more:Belgium want FIFA to explain Balogun reversal, challenge USMNT striker’s eligibility
On Monday, Infantino issued a statement defending the decision by an independent FIFA panel.
“FIFA’s judicial bodies are independent,” Infantino said in the statement. “They operate autonomously, apply the FIFA Disciplinary Code, and decide cases based on the applicable regulations and the specific facts before them. Their independence is essential to the credibility and integrity of football, and this must always be respected.
After the news broke on Sunday, Pochettino talked about how the situation unfolded over the past few days, and said he was not involved as he was focused on preparing the team for the Belgium game.
“I wasn’t involved,” Pochettino said. “I was focusing on trying to prepare the team to face to Belgium working in different [areas], working in trying to be focused and to play tomorrow with our best, in our best condition.”
Read more:UEFA says FIFA ‘crossed a red line’ with Folarin Balogun red card ban U-turn
Balogun scored the U.S.’s opening goal in the 45th minute of its 2-0 win over Bosnia-Herzegovina 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.
FIFA in November deferred the final two games of a three-match ban for Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo for a red card against Ireland in a World Cup qualifier, allowing him to play at the start of the World Cup.
Argentina defender Nicolás Otamendi and Ecuador midfielder Moisés Caicedo in April had one-game bans deferred for red cards in qualifiers, also allowing them to be available for World Cup openers.
Brazil‘s Garrincha was ejected from a 1962 semifinal but allowed to play in the final against Chile after political pressure.
The U.S. is seeking to reach the quarterfinals of the World Cup for the first time since 2002.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report. ESPN writer Jeff Carlisle also contributed.
