By Steve Holland
WASHINGTON/SEATTLE, July 5 (Reuters) - The United States’ World Cup campaign took an extraordinary turn on Sunday when FIFA made the unprecedented decision to suspend Folarin Balogun’s automatic red-card ban, clearing the striker to face Belgium in Monday's last-16 clash after U.S. President Donald Trump personally urged FIFA President Gianni Infantino to review the case.
The move thrust FIFA’s disciplinary process into the global spotlight, prompted an angry response from Belgium
and ensured that one of this tournament’s biggest talking points would centre not on tactics or team selection, but on the relationship between football’s governing body and political power.
Within minutes, the decision had ignited one of the tournament’s biggest media storms, dominating sports bulletins and talk shows as pundits, commentators and former players argued over whether FIFA had upheld justice or undermined its own rules.
As questions mounted over the circumstances surrounding the decision, FIFA did not respond to multiple Reuters requests for comment about the decision and Trump’s call with Infantino.
Balogun scored his third goal of the World Cup in the 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina but was shown a red card in the second half for planting his boot into the ankle of Tarik Muharemovic.
The 25-year-old was sent off after a VAR review, with U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino saying it was never a red card offence.
Trump called Infantino to ask world soccer's governing body to review the sending-off, according to a source briefed on the call.
FIFA is allowing Balogun to play without rescinding the red card.
"In line with article 27 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, the implementation of the match suspension is suspended for a probationary period of one year," FIFA said in a statement.
"If Folarin Balogun commits another infringement of a similar nature and gravity during the probationary period, the suspension shall be revoked and the sanction enforced without prejudice to any additional sanction imposed for the new infringement."
The judicial body has the discretion to fully or partially suspend the implementation of a disciplinary sanction.
'A GREAT INJUSTICE'
"Thank you to FIFA for doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice," Trump wrote on Truth Social while the White House celebrated Balogun's reinstatement in the squad with a post on X saying: "USA-USA-USA."
U.S. Soccer accepted the decision while Balogun's teammates said they only found out via social media on their way to training ahead of Monday's game in Seattle.
"We found out about it just coming over here," American forward Christian Pulisic told reporters. "At first, you're like, 'Oh really, is this real?' And then 'Oh, this is great news'."
Pochettino welcomed the news at a U.S. press conference in Seattle on Sunday evening.
"I think 99.9% of people in football have said this is an unfair punishment and there's evidence from the past that makes it possible to suspend a punishment and to fulfil it later on, so I don't understand how people can be surprised," he told reporters.
"This has happened in the past. It's not something extraordinary that has only happened for us, it has happened in the past. And we've seen many players in this World Cup that were not punished and I'm happy for this because it would have been unfair."
England manager Thomas Tuchel said he believed Balogun did not deserve a red card, but questioned the decision to suspend his punishment, having just seen his defender Jarell Quansah get sent off in his side's 3-2 last-16 win over Mexico on Sunday.
"I think first of all to be very clear that it is not a red card (for Balogun). But VAR got involved and obviously three people from VAR checked it and were of the opinion that it was a red card. So the decision is made," Tuchel told reporters at the Azteca Stadium.
"Who overturns this decision then and when? And on what grounds? How far does this go now? This is strange for me... Where does this start and where does this end?"
BELGIUM 'ASTONISHED' BY DECISION
The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) said it was "astonished" by FIFA's decision to declare Balogun eligible to play in the match, pointing to the rule book while it investigated all potential options.
"FIFA bases its decision on Article 27 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code. This provision states that the FIFA Disciplinary Committee may decide to suspend the enforcement of a previously imposed disciplinary sanction," the RBFA said.
"However, Article 66.4 of the same FIFA Disciplinary Code clearly provides that a red card (sending-off) automatically results in a suspension for the team's next match, as has been the case for all previous red cards issued during this FIFA World Cup."
It said the decision was in direct contradiction with the provisions of the tournament's Regulations.
"As set out in Article 10.5: 'If a player or team official is sent off as a result of a direct or indirect red card (second caution), they will automatically be suspended from their team's subsequent match,'" the RBFA added.
Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo was able to play his side's opening World Cup matches after FIFA suspended the final two games of a three-match ban last year when he was sent off in their penultimate qualifying match against Ireland.
Qatar midfielder Assim Madibo was handed a five-match ban after receiving a red card for a tackle that seriously injured Canada midfielder Ismael Kone during a group match at the tournament.
Monday's match will now be played against the backdrop of a decision that has become one of the defining controversies of the tournament, with the debate over FIFA’s powers unlikely to end at the final whistle.
(Writing by Ossian Shine, additional reporting by Rohith Nair in Miami, Sam Tobin and Dan Catchpole in Seattle, Toby Davis in Mexico City; Editing by Ed Osmond and Christian Radnedge)
