Folarin Balogun is back in contention for USA's last-16 meeting with Belgium after FIFA suspended his one-game ban. The decision turns a likely absence into availability for the USA vs Belgium tie, and it comes after the striker was sent off in the win over Bosnia & Herzegovina.
The red card and FIFA's ruling
Balogun scored the opener on the stroke of half time in the USA's 2-0 win against Bosnia and Herzegovina, then was dismissed just after the hour after a VAR review. Tarik Muharemovic was the defender involved in the foul that led to the sending-off.
FIFA later said Balogun's one-game ban is suspended for a probationary period of one year. The disciplinary basis cited was Article 27 of the FIFA disciplinary code.
Mauricio Pochettino did not hide his view of the dismissal. Speaking to standard.co.uk, the USA manager said: "For me? Never a red card. Never an intention to step on the player. It was a normal action in football that happened by accident."
Donald Trump also welcomed the decision, telling standard.co.uk: "Thank you to Fifa for doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice!"
What Balogun gives the USA
The timing matters because Balogun has been one of the USA's best performers at the tournament. He has scored 3 goals in 3 appearances at the 2026 World Cup, and his 7.37 rating across 232 minutes underlines how central he has been to the attack.
That is a better platform than the USA looked set to have when the red card stood. The suspension now gives them their leading scorer for a game against a Belgium side that has gone unbeaten in its last 4 World Cup matches.
Balogun's availability does not settle the argument over the dismissal. Some will still see a hard call that FIFA softened, while others will point to the governing body's ruling and the probationary suspension. What is certain is that the USA now have their striker available for Belgium on 7 July.
Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 6 outlets. How we work →