Balogun's red-card suspension remains at one match, keeping him out of round-of-16
FIFA's disciplinary committee upheld a single-match ban for Folarin Balogen after his red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina, confirming his absence for the U.S. round-of-16 clash with Belgium.
U.S. Soccer confirmed on Friday that forward Folarin Balogun will serve only a one-match suspension for the red card he received in the United States' 2-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina on July 1. The disciplinary committee reviewed the incident and determined that the standard one-game ban was sufficient, meaning no additional matches or fines were imposed.
Balogun, who scored the opening goal before being sent off in the 64th minute after a VAR-reviewed challenge on Tarik Muharemović, will miss the round-of-16 match against Belgium on Monday. He remains eligible to return for a potential quarterfinal, should the United States advance.
The decision leaves the U.S. team without its top scorer of the tournament, who has netted three goals to date, and places the responsibility on his teammates to fill the void in the upcoming knockout game.