Folarin Balogun’s Balogun Red Card Suspension was suspended, and he will be available for the USMNT’s World Cup round-of-16 match against Belgium on Monday. The 25-year-old had been facing a one-game ban after a straight red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
That red card came Wednesday for a foul on Tarik Muharemovic, and Article 10.5 of FIFA’s tournament rules automatically tied it to a one-game suspension. FIFA later said the implementation of the match suspension is suspended for a probationary period of one year.
FIFA and Article 27
Article 27 gives FIFA’s judicial body the power to fully or partially suspend a disciplinary measure. It also says that if the player benefits from a suspended sanction commits another infringement of a similar nature and gravity during the probationary period, the suspension is revoked and the sanction is enforced, without prejudice to any additional sanction for the new infringement.
That is the practical wrinkle in Balogun’s case. His availability changes immediately for Belgium, but the sanction has not vanished; it has been pushed into a one-year probation window tied to future conduct.
Chris Richards on the bus
The change reached the squad on the team bus to training at the University of Washington on Sunday. Chris Richards said, “We weren’t quite sure if it was true or not. I think everyone knows with AI … We ultimately found out on social media. It was cool to get confirmation it was true.”
Christian Pulisic said, “Obviously for us it gives us a boost.” U.S. Soccer said it accepted and was pleased with the decision and added, “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.”
Balogun and the USMNT
The timing matters because Balogun has started in all but one game for the tournament co-hosts and has produced in every World Cup game he has played so far. He scored twice in the opener against Paraguay, was rested against Turkey in the final group-stage game, and then scored in the first half of the 2-0 win in Santa Clara, Calif., against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
There was friction around the ruling before the reversal. Multiple FIFA officials told The Athletic after the game that a team is not able to appeal against a red card or the subsequent suspension, yet FIFA later suspended the ban. U.S. President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that FIFA had done what was right and reversed a great injustice.
For the USMNT, the immediate effect is simple: Balogun is eligible for Monday in Seattle. For FIFA, the decision leaves a disciplinary ruling in place but inactive, with the next similar infringement carrying the risk of reviving the sanction under the one-year probation term.
