FIFA overturn Folarin Balogun’s automatic suspension, allowing the USA striker to face Belgium after President Trump urged a review.
FIFA has cleared United States striker, Folarin Balogun to play against Belgium in Monday’s FIFA World Cup round-of-16 clash after suspending the automatic one-match ban triggered by his red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The decision follows an appeal reviewed by FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee, which said it had suspended the application of Balogun’s automatic suspension for a probationary period of one year under Article 27 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code.
Balogun was sent off after a VAR review during the USA’s victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina, a dismissal that would ordinarily have ruled him out of the next match under FIFA’s disciplinary regulations.
According to The New York Times, President Donald Trump personally called FIFA president Gianni Infantino on Wednesday, and asked him to review Balogun’s suspension. Citing three people familiar with the conversation, the newspaper reported that FIFA’s decision marks the first time since 1962 that a player has been allowed to play despite what would normally have been an automatic suspension.
The ruling has sparked strong criticism from the Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA), which said it was “stunned” by FIFA’s decision and argued that it contradicts both Article 66.4 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code and Article 10.5 of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Regulations, both of which state that a player sent off by a direct red card must automatically miss the team’s next match.
The RBFA said the automatic suspension rule had been consistently applied throughout the tournament, restated in FIFA Circular No.16 distributed to participating associations, and reinforced during pre-match coordination meetings. The federation added that it is considering all possible legal options to protect the integrity of the competition.
The decision was welcomed by the White House and by President Trump on his social media platform, Truth Social, while FIFA has yet to provide further details beyond its official disciplinary ruling.
The United States will face Belgium in Seattle on Monday for a place in the World Cup quarter-finals, with Balogun now available for selection despite the controversy surrounding his eligibility.
