Shocked Belgium has vowed to “defend football” after FIFA’s controversial decision to let Folarin Balogun play in the pivotal Round of 16 match
FIFA has suspended a one-match ban imposed on US striker Folarin Balogun, clearing him to play in the World Cup Round of 16 against Belgium after President Donald Trump reportedly asked the governing body’s chief to review the case.
Balogun was sent off in the 64th minute of the US team’s 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Round of 32 on Wednesday. Under World Cup rules, the red card carried an automatic one-match suspension, which would have ruled the New York-born forward out of Monday’s knockout clash at Seattle Stadium.
However, FIFA announced on Sunday that the implementation of the automatic suspension had been suspended for a probationary period of one year under Article 27 of its disciplinary code. The decision means Balogun, who has scored three goals at the tournament, will be available as the US seeks its first World Cup quarter-final appearance since 2002.
The New York Times reported that Trump called FIFA President Gianni Infantino on Wednesday and asked him to review Balogun’s suspension, citing people familiar with the conversation. The White House has not publicly confirmed the call, but referred reporters to Trump’s celebratory post on Truth Social.
“Thank you to FIFA for doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice!” Trump wrote on Sunday.
The decision has triggered outrage in Belgium, whose football federation said it was “astonished” by FIFA’s ruling and was examining “all potential options” ahead of the match. Belgium coach Rudi Garcia mocked the reversal as a poor April Fools’ joke.
“We’re not defending the national team or federation, we are defending football,” Garcia said.
The reversal is highly unusual, though not without recent precedent. FIFA made a somewhat similar move before the tournament when it cleared Cristiano Ronaldo to play for Portugal, despite a red-card ban carried over from a qualifier against Ireland. Ronaldo was handed a three-match ban, but two matches were suspended, allowing him to feature at the World Cup.
Before that, the last comparable World Cup intervention came in 1962, when Brazil legend Garrincha was cleared to play in the final after being sent off in the semifinal – eight years before FIFA introduced the modern red-card system at the 1970 World Cup.
FIFA’s decision comes amid scrutiny of Infantino’s close ties with Trump. The governing body previously created and awarded the US president its Peace Prize following his public but unsuccessful campaign to win the Nobel Peace Prize.
The US is co-hosting the 2026 World Cup alongside Canada and Mexico. The tournament runs from June 11 to July 19 and is being staged across 16 cities, including 11 in the US. The final is scheduled for July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
The US and Belgium last met at a World Cup in the Round of 16 in 2014, when Belgium won 2-1 after extra time despite a record 16-save performance by US goalkeeper Tim Howard.
