Less than 24 hours before the USMNT faces Belgium in Seattle for a World Cup Round of 16 showdown, FIFA did something that rarely happens in international soccer. It reversed course.
Folarin Balogun, the U.S. striker who picked up a straight red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina, was facing an automatic one-match ban. But FIFA invoked Article 27 to delay that suspension for a full year. That means Balogun will play Thursday night. Belgium, understandably, is livid.
The Belgian federation has officially appealed the decision, calling it a violation of basic tournament integrity. UEFA backed that up with a statement calling FIFA’s move “incomprehensible” and accusing the organization of crossing a red line. Their argument is straightforward: a straight red card carries a mandatory one-game sit. You can’t just waive that mid-tournament because it’s inconvenient for one team.
What makes this messy is what reportedly happened behind the scenes. According to The New York Times, U.S. President Donald Trump personally called FIFA President Gianni Infantino to discuss the suspension. USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino denied any involvement in that process, telling reporters he had nothing to do with the administrative maneuvering.
“Ultimately, we aren’t victims, but we aren’t the villains of this story either,” Pochettino said.
He argued that the red card itself was a mistake. Balogun’s challenge, he said, was unintentional. Pochettino claimed that “99.9% of the football community” agrees the initial call was wrong. He framed FIFA’s intervention as a correction, not a favor.
That line of reasoning hasn’t won over Belgium or UEFA. The European governing body doubled down, saying that making exceptions on the fly undermines the entire competition. They pointed out that plenty of other players have served their mandated suspensions without getting a call from a world leader.
The red card that started it all
In the group stage match against Bosnia, Balogun went in for a sliding challenge. Replays showed he got the ball first, but his follow-through caught the Bosnian defender above the ankle. The referee pulled out a straight red. Many analysts called it harsh. The U.S. played more than 30 minutes a man down and still managed to win, which Pochettino noted as a punishment in itself.
Still, the suspension was set. Until it wasn’t.
What happens now
FIFA’s decision stands for now. The appeal from Belgium will be heard after the match, which means Balogun is cleared to play. The game itself already had plenty of tension. Now it has a political subplot, a disputed ruling, and a striker who will hear boos every time he touches the ball.
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