Folarin Balogun Cleared To Face Belgium As Red Card Ban Suspended

Folarin Balogun will be eligible to face Belgium in the World Cup round of 16 after FIFA suspended his one-match suspension, sources briefed on the matter told The Athletic. The striker had been banned following a red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina. Balogun received a straight red card on Wednesday for a foul on defender Tarik Muharemovic. Under Article 10.5 of FIFA's tournament regulations, the offense automatically triggered a one-game ban for the United States men's national team forward. FIFA officials told The Athletic after the match that teams cannot appeal a red card or the resulting suspension. That made Balogun's status for the Belgium match appear settled, barring an alternative process. Sources with knowledge of the situation said FIFA has instead suspended the punishment, clearing Balogun to play against Rudi Garcia's Belgium side. The move relies on a separate FIFA statute rather than a formal appeal. Article 27 of FIFA's disciplinary code permits judicial bodies to fully or partially suspend a sanction. The rule states that a suspension can be revoked if the player commits another offense of similar nature during a probationary period, with the original sanction then enforced alongside any new punishment. A similar scenario played out for Cristiano Ronaldo before the World Cup began. FIFA issued the Portugal captain a three-match ban but suspended the final two matches under a one-year probation period. FIFA and U.S. Soccer have not yet responded to requests for comment. Balogun's status adds a significant boost for the USMNT ahead of a high-stakes knockout matchup.