The U.S. national team received a key update ahead of its match against Belgium on Monday in the Round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup. FIFA announced that it has suspended the automatic suspension imposed on forward Folarin Balogun following the red card he received in the match against Bosnia and Herzegovina, meaning the striker will be available for one of the tournament’s most important matches.
Soccer’s governing body confirmed the decision in an official statement, announcing that Balogun will be allowed to play at Seattle Stadium thanks to the ex officio application of Article 27 of its Disciplinary Code.
FIFA Lifts Balogun’s Suspension
With this decision, FIFA suspended the automatic sanction resulting from the ejection and established a one-year probationary period for the American forward.
The decision completely changes the outlook for Mauricio Pochettino’s team, which is getting one of its most influential players back just before facing one of the favorites to advance to the quarterfinals.
Balogun was sent off last Wednesday during the Round of 32 match against Bosnia and Herzegovina, in an incident that sparked intense controversy. After reviewing the replay, it was observed that the forward stepped on the back of an opponent’s leg during a contested play—an action that many considered accidental.
Under FIFA regulations, a direct red card results in immediate ejection from the game and an automatic suspension for the next match. However, FIFA decided to review the case and apply an exceptional measure that will allow the forward to play in the match against Belgium.
The controversy went beyond the world of sports and even reached the political arena in the United States.
President Donald Trump publicly celebrated the decision on his Truth Social account, where he thanked FIFA for what he called “doing the right thing” by reversing what he considered an injustice against the U.S. national team.
Those statements were echoed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who said a few days ago that the national team had been disadvantaged by the ejection.
“They were unfairly given a red card. There should be an appeals process for that,” Rubio said when asked about the incident.
Although the decision has sparked debate among fans and analysts, this is not the first time that the FIFA Disciplinary Committee has modified a sanction of this kind.
One of the most recent incidents occurred last year, when the organization reduced a three-game suspension imposed on Cristiano Ronaldo to a single game, accompanied by a probationary period.
Now all eyes will be on Balogun, who will have the opportunity to respond on the field after becoming one of the central figures in the most talked-about controversy of the 2026 World Cup.
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