FIFA Allows U.S. Striker Balogun to Play in Round of 16 Against Belgium
A FIFA disciplinary panel suspended the suspension of U.S. forward Folarin Balogun, permitting him to start the Round of 16 match versus Belgium, despite earlier controversy over his red card and a reported call between President Trump and FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
The U.S. men’s national soccer team will field forward Folarin Balogun in Monday’s World Cup Round of 16 match against Belgium after a FIFA disciplinary panel placed his one-match suspension on a year-long probation, allowing him to play. The decision follows Balogun’s red card in the previous round against Bosnia-Herzegovina, which had initially triggered an automatic ban.
President Donald Trump said he asked FIFA to review the suspension, describing the red-card ruling as "very unfair." FIFA president Gianni Infantino confirmed a phone conversation with Trump but said the discussion did not influence the panel’s ruling, noting that the case would be decided by FIFA’s independent judicial bodies.
Belgium’s football federation expressed concern over the ruling, stating it would explore all options to protect the sport’s integrity and ethics. The federation’s appeal was rejected by FIFA’s appeal committee, which ruled that the Belgian association lacked standing to challenge the decision.
UEFA also criticized the move, saying it undermined the certainty of the rules and could set a problematic precedent for the tournament. U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino called the decision fair, arguing the red card was a mistake.
The match will determine whether the United States advances to the quarter-finals for the first time since 2002, potentially facing the winner of the Spain-Portugal game.