SEATTLE (AP) — Folarin Balogun’s one-game ban was suspended by FIFA on Sunday, allowing the forward to play in the United States’ World Cup round of 16 game against Belgium on Monday.
Balogun, who leads the Americans with three goals, received a red card for stepping on the foot of Tarik Muharemović of Bosnia and Herzegovina in a 2-0 round of 32 win on Wednesday.
“The implementation of the match suspension is suspended for a probationary period of one
year,” FIFA announced Sunday. “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.”
Balogun's red card and suspension for the round of 16 match had been one of the most controversial and consequential decisions of the World Cup, only now to be surely matched by the ruling that allows him to play.
Balogun's three goals included one to give the U.S. the lead against Bosnia. He has matched Landon Donovan in 2010 for the second-most goals by an American in a World Cup, behind only Bert Patenaude’s four in the initial tournament in 1930.
In a post on social media, President Donald Trump praised the decision from FIFA.
“Thank you to FIFA for doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice!” President DONALD J. TRUMP," he wrote.
The host U.S. is seeking to reach the quarterfinals for the first time since 2002. The Americans lost in the round of 16 to Ghana in 2010, Belgium in 2014 and the Netherlands in 2022. They failed to advance from the group stage in 2006 and didn’t qualify for the 2018 tournament.
The U.S. Soccer Federation said it will not make Balogun available for comment Sunday, but Balogun posted on social media a picture of himself in front of U.S. fans and overlaid with music of Michael Jackson's pop single “Bad.”
On Friday, Balogun said he thought a yellow card instead of red, “would have been fair. It’s something that’s happened, so we have to move forward and I have to accept it.”
FIFA's announcement to reinstate Balogun said the decision relied on Article 27 the rules of the disciplinary committee:
“The judicial body may decide to fully or partially suspend the implementation of a disciplinary measure. By suspending the implementation of the sanction, the judicial body subjects the person sanctioned to a probationary period of one to four years," the rule states.
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