In a shocking reversal with mammoth implications for the U.S. Men’s National Team’s (USMNT) chances of advancing to the quarterfinals of the 2026 World Cup, FIFA has rescinded the red card given this week to star U.S. striker Folarin Balogun, making him eligible to play against Monday night in the U.S. men’s Round of 16 game against Belgium.
Balogun, who plays his club ball for Arsenal in the English Premier League, scored the game-winning goal for the USMNT against Bosnia and Herzegovina, but was shown a red card later in the match on a highly controversial play in which he inadvertently stepped on the ankle of a Bosnia and Herzegovina player.
The referee, Brazilian Rafael Claus, conducted a VAR review of the play, which did not even draw a yellow card during live action. While the announcers debated whether the play was even serious enough to review at all, Claus emerged from the VAR viewing area after a lengthy review and shocked the thousands in attendance and better than 30 million watching from home, by showing Balogun a straight red card.
Under FIFA rules, a player shown a red card is not only disqualified from the remainder of the current match but is also ineligible for the next game.
The U.S. men hung on for the win on the strength of a shutout defensive performance and an expertly struck free kick from Malik Tillman to achieve the 2-0 result.
However, before the crowd was even done singing Country Roads, as has become the custom for U.S. fans after World Cup matches, speculation and concern about how Balogun’s absence would affect the rest of the USMNT’s inspiring World Cup run began to dominate the conversation.
That, as of Sunday, is no longer a concern.
According to Article 27, “the judicial body may decide to fully or partially suspend the implementation of a disciplinary measure.”
Balogun will be placed on a one year probationary period, and if he commits a similar foul during that time, “the suspension shall be revoked by the judicial body and the sanction enforced without prejudice to any additional sanction imposed for the new infringement,” the article states.