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| FIFA President Gianni Infantino obliged to President Trump's request to suspend Balogun's red card |
The United States’ World Cup campaign took an extraordinary turn on Sunday when FIFA made the unprecedented decision to suspend Folarin Balogun’s automatic red-card ban, clearing the striker to face Belgium in Monday’s last-16 clash after U.S. President Donald Trump personally urged FIFA President Gianni Infantino to review the case.
The move thrust FIFA’s disciplinary process into the global spotlight, prompted an angry response from Belgium and ensured that one of this tournament’s biggest talking points would centre not on tactics or team selection, but on the relationship between football’s governing body and political power.
Within minutes, the decision had ignited one of the tournament’s biggest media storms, dominating sports bulletins and talk shows as pundits, commentators and former players argued over whether FIFA had upheld justice or undermined its own rules.
As questions mounted over the circumstances surrounding the decision, FIFA did not respond to multiple Reuters requests for comment about the decision and Trump’s call with Infantino.
Balogun scored his third goal of the World Cup in the 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina but was shown a red card in the second half for planting his boot into the ankle of Tarik Muharemovic.
The 25-year-old was sent off after a VAR review, with U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino saying it was never a red card offence.
Trump called Infantino to ask world soccer’s governing body to review the sending-off, according to a source briefed on the call.
FIFA is allowing Balogun to play without rescinding 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,” FIFA said in a statement.
“If Folarin Balogun commits another infringement of a similar nature and gravity during the probationary period, the suspension shall be revoked and the sanction enforced without prejudice to any additional sanction imposed for the new infringement.”
The judicial body has the discretion to fully or partially suspend the implementation of a disciplinary sanction.
‘A GREAT INJUSTICE’
“Thank you to FIFA for doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice,” Trump wrote on Truth Social while the White House celebrated Balogun’s reinstatement in the squad with a post on X saying: “USA-USA-USA.”
U.S. Soccer accepted the decision while Balogun’s teammates said they only found out via social media on their way to training ahead of Monday’s game in Seattle.
“We found out about it just coming over here,” American forward Christian Pulisic told reporters. “At first, you’re like, ‘Oh really, is this real?’ And then ‘Oh, this is great news’.”
Pochettino welcomed the news at a U.S. press conference in Seattle on Sunday evening.
“I think 99.9% of people in football have said this is an unfair punishment and there’s evidence from the past that makes it possible to suspend a punishment and to fulfil it later on, so I don’t understand how people can be surprised,” he told reporters.
“This has happened in the past. It’s not something extraordinary that has only happened for us, it has happened in the past. And we’ve seen many players in this World Cup that were not punished and I’m happy for this because it would have been unfair.”
England manager Thomas Tuchel said he believed Balogun did not deserve a red card, but questioned the decision to suspend his punishment, having just seen his defender Jarell Quansah get sent off in his side’s 3-2 last-16 win over Mexico on Sunday.
“I think first of all to be very clear that it is not a red card (for Balogun). But VAR got involved and obviously three people from VAR checked it and were of the opinion that it was a red card. So the decision is made,” Tuchel told reporters at the Azteca Stadium.
“Who overturns this decision then and when? And on what grounds? How far does this go now? This is strange for me… Where does this start and where does this end?”
BELGIUM ‘ASTONISHED’ BY DECISION
The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) said it was “astonished” by FIFA’s decision to declare Balogun eligible to play in the match, pointing to the rule book while it investigated all potential options.
“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,” the RBFA said.
“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.”
It said the decision was in direct contradiction with the provisions of the tournament’s 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,'” the RBFA added.
Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo was able to play his side’s opening World Cup matches after FIFA suspended the final two games of a three-match ban last year when he was sent off in their penultimate qualifying match against Ireland.
Qatar midfielder Assim Madibo was handed a five-match ban after receiving a red card for a tackle that seriously injured Canada midfielder Ismael Kone during a group match at the tournament.
Monday’s match will now be played against the backdrop of a decision that has become one of the defining controversies of the tournament, with the debate over FIFA’s powers unlikely to end at the final whistle.
UPDATE - BELGIANS GRANTED RIGHT TO APPEAL
Belgium have been granted the right to appeal FIFA’s decision to suspend the one-game ban to United States national team striker Folarin Balogun, according to a report by The Athletic.
Balogun had been slated to miss Monday’s round of 16 match after being issued a direct red card, which carried an automatic one-match suspension. However, FIFA announced on Sunday that the one-game ban had been suspended.
The ruling triggered widespread debate as well as a statement from the Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) that said it was exploring “all potential options.”
According to The Athletic, the RBFA formally wrote to FIFA to appeal the matter, which was granted. The RBFA and U.S. Soccer were reportedly asked to make submissions by 5 a.m. PT — exactly 12 hours before the scheduled start of the match at Seattle Stadium.
A member of the FIFA appeals committee has been selected to hear the case, according to the report. The member is not associated with a federation in either UEFA or CONCAFAF.
Belgium have not been guaranteed that a ruling will be made before Monday’s match.
Balogun is currently eligible to play and is expected to start. The 25-year-old has a team-best three goals during this World Cup, including what turned out to be the game-winning goal against Bosnia and Herzegovina last Wednesday.
However, Balogun was later issued a red card following a VAR review. He was slated to have to sit out against Belgium until Sunday’s surprising ruling by FIFA.
President Donald Trump reportedly called FIFA president Gianni Infantino to ask him to review the matter, while secretary of commerce Howard Lutnick and other White House officials were also involved. Trump praised the decision in a Truth Social post, writing, “Thank you to FIFA for doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice!”
A red card or suspension officially cannot be appealed. FIFA, however, posted this message to its website Sunday about its use of the rule book in the case: “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.”
U.S. Soccer issued its own statement in response to the action: “We accept the decision of the Disciplinary Committee and are pleased that Folarin Balogun is eligible to complete 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.”
The RBFA countered with a lengthy statement from its football federation decrying FIFA’s decision and citing other pieces of the disciplinary code and competition regulations that made red-card decisions sound final.
“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 statement concluded, “the RBFA is investigating all potential options.”
Belgium coach Rudi Garcia began his pre-match press conference Sunday afternoon by declaring he didn’t know the fifth of July had turned into April Fool’s Day.
“A lot of our thoughts and opinions are in the release,” Garcia said. “We’re not defending the national team or the federation, we are defending football.”
Before the start of the World Cup last month, Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo faced a three-match suspension, with the final two potentially keeping him out of group-stage matches. Instead, he sat one match, with the other two suspended and converted to a one-year probation period.
U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino defended FIFA’s decision to suspend Balogun’s ban.
“For me, there isn’t much debate here, though I do understand Belgium’s perspective and Rudi’s point of view,” Pochettino told reporters Sunday. “I understand why people conflate issues — people always do, because there’s often an agenda to mix things up — but in this case, I don’t think it’s right.
“If anyone was harmed in this whole situation, it was the United States. Can anyone justify the idea that we weren’t punished? I mean, playing 30 or 35 minutes a man down in a World Cup knockout match? It’s not as if we’re benefiting. No, no. There’s no extraordinary gain we’re getting out of all this. I mean, ultimately, we aren’t victims, but we aren’t the villains of this story either.”
