{"id":917688,"date":"2026-07-07T02:56:11","date_gmt":"2026-07-07T02:56:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/917688\/"},"modified":"2026-07-07T02:56:11","modified_gmt":"2026-07-07T02:56:11","slug":"world-cup-what-to-know-about-fifas-decision-to-lift-baloguns-suspension","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/917688\/","title":{"rendered":"World Cup: What to know about FIFA’s decision to lift Balogun’s suspension"},"content":{"rendered":"

FIFA\u2019s stunning decision<\/a> to lift the suspension of a star U.S. player riled the host country\u2019s World Cup opponent, Belgium, and sent soccer fans \u2014 and political leaders \u2014 into a frenzy over the influence President Donald Trump may have had over the extremely rare ruling.<\/p>\n

Hours before kickoff Monday, FIFA dismissed Belgium\u2019s challenge<\/a> to the most-debated political intervention in a World Cup<\/a> in decades. U.S. forward Folarin Balogun had faced a mandatory ban from the match after receiving a red card last week, but FIFA lifted his suspension on Sunday following a call Trump made<\/a> to the global soccer organization\u2019s president, Gianni Infantino.<\/a><\/p>\n

Despite Balogun\u2019s start in Seattle, the U.S. lost 4-1 to Belgium.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a deeper look at the controversy.<\/p>\n

Why Balogun and the red card mattered<\/p>\n

Born in New York to Nigerian parents, raised in London, and playing in the French league, Balogun\u2019s birthright citizenship<\/a> made him eligible for the U.S.<\/p>\n

The Belgian soccer federation wants an explanation from FIFA about a decision to let U.S forward Folarin Balogun play at the World Cup despite getting a red card in his previous game. Belgium takes on the United States later Monday for a spot in the quarterfinals.<\/p>\n

Securing his commitment to play on the American team was a coup and it had paid off; the 25-year-old led the team\u2019s World Cup scoring with three goals. <\/p>\n

All was well until Wednesday when he stepped on<\/a> opponent Tarik Muharemovi\u0107\u2019s ankle in a 2-0 win<\/a> over Bosnia-Herzegovina in the round of 32.<\/p>\n

The decision to send off Balogun was disputed<\/a> \u2014 his movement seemed clumsy but not malicious. But once a referee decides to issue a red card, the punishment is usually straightforward: The player is excluded from the rest of the game and \u2014 until now, at least \u2014 a suspension for the next game is automatic.<\/p>\n

If the ban had stayed in place, replacing Balogun in the lineup posed a big challenge for coach Mauricio Pochettino.<\/p>\n

The U.S. had plenty of attacking players in wider or deeper roles, but few with the combination of physical power and goal-scoring ability for the center-forward role that the rest of the offense focuses around. Likely replacement Ricardo Pepi hadn\u2019t scored in four World Cup games.<\/p>\n

FIFA\u2019s explanation and what it didn\u2019t say<\/p>\n

There is typically no appeals process against the automatic one-game ban, only for longer sanctions usually applied to the most serious fouls like violent conduct or racism.<\/p>\n

In its decision to let Balogun play against Belgium, FIFA cited article 27 of its disciplinary code, which says a \u201cjudicial body\u201d can \u201cfully or partially suspend the implementation of a disciplinary measure.\u201d Balogun could yet get that one-game suspension on top of any future punishment if he commits a similar offense again in the next year.<\/p>\n

In a statement Monday, FIFA\u2019s disciplinary committee gave more details on its decision. It said it found Balogun guilty of two breaches of its disciplinary code: one related to the red card and another for celebrating with his teammates on the field after the Bosnia match despite having been ejected. It imposed a fine of $40,000 but suspended the automatic one-match ban for a probationary period of one year.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe sanction remains dormant during the probationary period and will only be activated if he commits another infringement of a similar nature and gravity during that one-year period,\u201d the committee said.<\/p>\n

Infantino insisted in a social media post that FIFA\u2019s disciplinary committee acted with independence and judged cases such as Balogun\u2019s on \u201capplicable regulations and the specific facts.\u201d Article 27 doesn\u2019t lay out any requirements for which cases are eligible under the rarely used rule.<\/p>\n

Last year, FIFA suspended two games of a three-game ban for one of soccer\u2019s biggest-ever stars, Cristiano Ronaldo. That left him free to play in the opening games of the World Cup<\/a> for Portugal. He did serve the remaining one game ban in a qualifier. <\/p>\n

Balogun\u2019s case seems to be the first since 1962 in which a sending-off during a World Cup match didn\u2019t result in a suspension. On that occasion, the president of host nation Chile argued for Brazilian midfielder Garrincha to be allowed to play the final after he had kicked a Chilean opponent. <\/p>\n

How Trump got involved in \u2018great injustice\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you to FIFA for doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice!\u201d Trump said Sunday on social media after Balogun\u2019s suspension was lifted. On Monday, Trump defended his outreach to Infantino, saying he merely pointed out that the referee\u2019s call against Balogun seemed like a bad one and warranted a closer look.<\/p>\n

Infantino and Trump have developed a well-known relationship<\/a>. The Swiss soccer official became a regular visitor to the Oval Office as the U.S. prepared to host the World Cup. He gave Trump a FIFA peace prize<\/a> at the World Cup draw in December, an award the organization hasn\u2019t presented to anyone else before or since. <\/p>\n

FIFA\u2019s statutes prohibit governments from intervening in the independence of soccer bodies managing their own affairs. FIFA regularly suspends member federations where governments have interfered in decision-making.<\/p>\n

Pochettino, the U.S. coach, applauded FIFA\u2019s move Sunday and said the initial on-field ruling against Balogun was \u201ccompletely unfair.\u201d<\/p>\n

Backlash from Belgium over FIFA decision<\/p>\n

The Belgian soccer federation said it was \u201castonished\u201d when the news of FIFA\u2019s intervention broke. Coach Rudi Garcia likened the decision to April Fools\u2019 Day. <\/p>\n

On Monday afternoon, a FIFA appeals judge dismissed Belgium\u2019s legal challenge fewer than eight hours before kickoff. The Belgian soccer body \u201cis not a party to the proceedings and, as such, has no standing to appeal the decision,\u201d FIFA said in a statement<\/a>.<\/p>\n

FIFA\u2019s disciplinary code says suspensions of two games or less typically can\u2019t be appealed \u2014 though that would generally apply to teams wanting a suspension lifted, not reimposed.<\/p>\n

As Europe woke to the news Monday, the Instagram account of Belgian Prime Minister Bart de Wever\u2019s cat, Maximus \u2014 a social media celebrity in his own right \u2014 weighed in with a picture<\/a> captioned: \u201cRed card? I\u2019m still going to play!\u201d<\/p>\n

Other prominent soccer voices weigh in<\/p>\n

European soccer body UEFA criticized FIFA<\/a> for an \u201cincomprehensible and unjustifiable decision\u201d and warned \u201cthe integrity of the game is at stake.\u201d<\/p>\n

In an apparent response to UEFA\u2019s criticism, FIFA\u2019s disciplinary committee said \u201creviewing the legal consequences of red cards in football is nothing new in the modern game.\u201d<\/p>\n

Norway coach St\u00e5le Solbakken weighed in after his team stunned Brazil on Sunday to reach the quarterfinals. <\/p>\n

\u201cWhat about the next red card? What happens then?\u201d he said. \u201cIs there going to be some committee somewhere that is going to take that card away?\u201d<\/p>\n

Former England great Wayne Rooney said on the BBC: \u201cInfantino, he should be ashamed of this because I think the sportsmanship of this game is in question here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ex-Sweden striker Zlatan Ibrahimovi\u0107 was a prominent voice welcoming the decision.<\/p>\n

\u201cFirst of all, he should not get a red card and then they should have come quicker, this call,\u201d Ibrahimovic said on Fox Sports. \u201cI\u2019m happy for the U.S. team because the U.S. team has been amazing but Balo has been super-amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n

England coach Thomas Tuchel predicted this could set off a flood of complaints and appeals over other on-field decisions affecting key players at the World Cup. <\/p>\n

\u201cWhere to draw the line is the question that I ask,\u201d he said after England beat Mexico 3-2 for a quarterfinal spot.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur yellow card from the first minute against Declan Rice, we can now debate endlessly. I think it\u2019s not a yellow card. Do we get this back?\u201d<\/p>\n

___<\/p>\n

AP Sports Writer Graham Dunbar in Geneva contributed to this report.<\/p>\n

___ <\/p>\n

See more of AP\u2019s World Cup coverage here<\/a><\/p>\n