SEATTLE — FIFA has reversed the one-match suspension of United States forward Folarin Balogun, clearing him to play in Monday's World Cup round-of-16 match against Belgium after U.S. President Donald Trump urged FIFA President Gianni Infantino to review the disciplinary decision, a move that has drawn sharp criticism from European football officials and prompted a Belgian appeal.
Balogun was automatically suspended after receiving a straight red card during the United States' 2-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina in the round of 32 for a challenge on defender Tarik Muharemović. Under FIFA regulations, a direct red card normally carries a mandatory one-match ban.
On Sunday, FIFA's disciplinary committee announced that enforcement of the suspension had been suspended for a one-year probationary period under Article 27 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, allowing Balogun to remain eligible for the knockout match against Belgium. FIFA said the red card itself remains on the player's record.
Multiple media outlets reported that Trump personally contacted Infantino to seek a review of the punishment. FIFA has said the decision was taken by its independent disciplinary committee, while declining to comment on specific conversations involving the two leaders. Trump later welcomed the outcome in a post on Truth Social, thanking FIFA for what he described as correcting an injustice.
The decision immediately sparked objections from the Royal Belgian Football Association, which said it was "astonished" by the ruling and argued it conflicted with FIFA's own disciplinary regulations governing automatic suspensions following red cards. The federation said it was examining legal options and had filed an appeal to protect what it called the integrity of the competition.
UEFA also condemned FIFA's action, describing it as "unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable." European football's governing body warned that political intervention or the perception of outside influence risked undermining confidence in FIFA's disciplinary processes.
U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino welcomed the decision, saying Balogun's original dismissal had been an excessive punishment for what he characterized as an unintentional challenge. U.S. Soccer also said it was pleased with the outcome.
Balogun has scored three goals during the tournament and is considered a key part of the U.S. attack as the co-hosts seek their first World Cup quarterfinal appearance since 2002.
As of Sunday, FIFA had not released further details explaining why the disciplinary committee exercised its authority to suspend the sanction, while Belgium's appeal remained pending ahead of the scheduled knockout match.
