FIFA suspends Balogun's World Cup ban, clearing him for Belgium last-16 match

The incident

Balogun was sent off in the second half of the USA's 2-0 win over Bosnia in the Round of 32 after a VAR review showed him planting his boot into the ankle of defender Tarik Muharemovic. The red card triggered an automatic one-match suspension, ruling him out of the last-16 tie against Belgium. US coach Mauricio Pochettino argued it was never a red card, while Balogun himself told reporters a yellow card would have been fairer.

FIFA's unprecedented decision

On Sunday, FIFA announced that the Disciplinary Committee had suspended the implementation of the ban for a one-year probationary period under Article 27 of its Disciplinary Code. The statement warned that any similar infringement during that period would see the suspension revoked and enforced. The move was described as unprecedented by Italian media, as FIFA had previously stated there was no appeal mechanism for the red card.

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.

Political reaction

US President Donald Trump quickly praised the decision on his Truth Social platform, thanking FIFA for "reversing a great injustice." The White House later reposted the message on X. Swiss outlet Blick reported that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had called for an appeal process last week, and journalist Ben Jacobs claimed the US government intervened directly with FIFA President Gianni Infantino. FIFA denied any external influence, and US Soccer said it had not filed a complaint.

Thank you to FIFA for doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice!

Balogun's importance

Balogun has scored three goals in four matches at the tournament, earning two Player of the Match awards. He is one goal shy of matching Bert Patenaude's record for most goals by a US men's player at a single World Cup. US Soccer welcomed the decision, saying it was pleased Balogun is eligible to compete.

There's nowhere else to put your leg. It's going to be unavoidable. So, I've seen many different opinions and takes. But, for me personally, I think a yellow card would have been fair.

The match ahead

The USA faces Belgium in Seattle on Monday (some European outlets report Tuesday due to time zone differences). Belgium has not commented on Balogun's availability. The co-host nation will now have its leading scorer for the crucial knockout fixture.