FIFA takes U-turn on red card suspension for Folarin Balogun after Donald Trump calls Gianni Infantino to review

United States forward Folarin Balogun will be available for Monday's FIFA World Cup round of 16 match against Belgium after FIFA lifted the one-match suspension triggered by his red card against Bosnia-Herzegovina, a decision that came after US President Donald Trump urged the governing body to review the incident.

Balogun, the United States' leading scorer in the tournament with three goals, had been sent off for stepping awkwardly on the right ankle of Tarik Muharemović during the Americans' 2-0 round of 32 victory on Wednesday. The dismissal carried an automatic one-match suspension.

FIFA announced on Sunday that the suspension had been lifted, an uncommon decision that drew praise from Trump and criticism from Belgium's football authorities. The move appeared to be the first instance since 1962 in which a World Cup red card did not result in a suspension.

Trump urged FIFA to review the decision

According to a person familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to discuss the call publicly, Trump contacted FIFA president Gianni Infantino after the match and requested that FIFA review Balogun's red card, as reported by AP.

In a statement posted on social media, Trump thanked FIFA for reversing what he described as "a great injustice."

Belgium questions FIFA's decision

The Royal Belgian Football Association said it was "astonished" by FIFA's ruling, while Belgium coach Rudi Garcia criticised the decision.

Garcia compared the announcement to an April Fools' joke and said the Belgian federation was defending the integrity and ethics of football. He added that he believed it was the first such decision in World Cup history.

When asked whether Belgium would appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport or whether Trump influenced FIFA's action, Garcia declined to comment.

The Belgian federation later said it was examining all possible options to safeguard the rights of participating teams and protect the principles of fair play.

US players learned of decision before training

American players discovered Balogun's availability during the team's short bus ride from its hotel to training at the University of Washington's Husky Soccer Stadium after seeing social media reports.

Balogun's dismissal had become one of the tournament's most debated refereeing decisions. Brazilian referee Raphael Claus initially did not issue a card but showed a red card after a video review.

US forward Christian Pulisic said there was "zero intent" in the challenge and felt more serious incidents had occurred during the tournament.

The US Soccer Federation said it received notification of FIFA's decision through the governing body's online portal at 10:31 a.m. EDT.

FIFA imposes one-year probation

FIFA said the implementation of Balogun's suspension had been deferred for a one-year probationary period.

The governing body said that if Balogun commits another infringement of similar nature and severity during that period, the suspension would be reinstated in addition to any new disciplinary sanction.

US coach Mauricio Pochettino welcomed the ruling, saying his team had already been sufficiently punished by playing with 10 men for 30 minutes against Bosnia-Herzegovina following what he described as an unfair decision.

Pochettino also said he was not surprised that Trump contacted Infantino, adding that football has the power to unite people and countries.

Balogun's tournament impact

Balogun's three goals at the tournament include the decisive strike against Bosnia-Herzegovina. His tally equals Landon Donovan's three goals at the 2010 World Cup and trails only Bert Patenaude's four goals for the United States at the inaugural tournament in 1930.

The 25-year-old Monaco forward scored 13 Ligue 1 goals last season and has 12 goals in 30 international appearances. Born in Brooklyn to Nigerian parents living in London, Balogun switched his international allegiance from England to the United States in 2023 after representing England at under-21 level.

US defender Chris Richards said Balogun "strikes fear into a lot of defenders."

The United States are aiming to reach the World Cup quarterfinals for the first time since 2002. The team lost in the round of 16 in 2010, 2014 and 2022, failed to progress beyond the group stage in 2006 and did not qualify for the 2018 tournament.

Balogun was not made available to the media on Sunday. However, he posted a social media image of himself in front of US supporters accompanied by Michael Jackson's song Bad. On Friday, he had said he believed a yellow card would have been a fairer punishment.

FIFA cites disciplinary regulations

FIFA said its decision was made under Article 27 of its disciplinary committee regulations, which allows the judicial body to fully or partially suspend the implementation of a disciplinary sanction and place the player on a probationary period lasting between one and four years.

The governing body noted that it had previously deferred part of Cristiano Ronaldo's three-match suspension following a red card against Ireland in a World Cup qualifier, allowing him to play at the start of the tournament.

Argentine defender Nicolás Otamendi and Ecuador midfielder Moisés Caicedo also had one-match suspensions deferred following red cards in World Cup qualifiers, making them eligible for their teams' opening matches.

FIFA's latest decision has also prompted comparisons with the 1962 World Cup, when Brazil's Garrincha was allowed to play in the final after receiving a red card in the semifinal following a lobbying campaign that included support from Chilean President Jorge Alessandri.

Norway coach Ståle Solbakken criticised FIFA's ruling, questioning how future red card cases would be handled and calling it "a bad" decision that would hurt the World Cup.

(With inputs from AP)