The Decision
Balogun received a straight red card during the U.S. team’s 2-0 Round of 32 victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina on Wednesday after video review showed him stepping on the ankle of defender Tarik Muharemović. Under FIFA’s own tournament regulations, a direct red card triggers an automatic one-game suspension that cannot be appealed by the player’s team. apnews.com euronews.com nbcnews.com espn.com
Yet FIFA’s disciplinary committee invoked Article 27 of its disciplinary code to suspend the ban for a probationary period of one year. “If Folarin Balogun commits another infringement of a similar nature and gravity during the probationary period, the suspension shall be revoked,” FIFA said in a statement. Two sources told AFP that Trump spoke with Infantino on Wednesday, the same day the red card was issued. Trump later celebrated the reversal on Truth Social, writing, “Thank you to FIFA for doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice!” euronews.com nbcnews.com espn.com usatoday.com apnews.com
Backlash From Europe and Belgium
UEFA responded Monday with a sharply worded statement, saying the decision “crossed a red line.” The European football governing body’s rebuke was echoed by the European Commissioner for Sport, Glenn Micallef, who wrote on X that “decisions on sporting rules and sporting matters belong to sporting bodies, not politicians.” reuters.com uefa.com euronews.com
Belgium’s football federation said it was “astonished” by a move in “direct contradiction” with FIFA’s rules and announced it is “investigating all potential options” to challenge the decision. Belgium coach Rudi Garcia added: “I didn’t know that at the FIFA World Cup, the 5th of July is now the 1st of April.” euronews.com politico.com
Precedent and Context
The reversal is only the second known instance of FIFA lifting a World Cup red-card suspension, the first since Brazil’s Garrincha was cleared for the 1962 final. U.S. head coach Mauricio Pochettino defended the outcome, calling the original punishment “too big” for what he described as an unintentional foul. U.S. Soccer said in a statement it was “pleased that Folarin Balogun is eligible to compete.” sports.yahoo.com usatoday.com euronews.com
Balogun, the tournament’s joint-leading American scorer with three goals, had said Friday that the ban was “something I have to just accept.” A day later, that acceptance proved unnecessary. euronews.com
