The US Males’s Nationwide Staff was anticipated to be with out its main objective scorer throughout Monday’s Spherical of 16 showdown with Belgium within the 2026 FIFA World Cup after he was proven a crimson card through the Spherical of 32 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina. Nonetheless, it doesn’t seem to be that’s the case in spite of everything.
On Sunday afternoon, FIFA introduced that Balogun will likely be obtainable to play for the USMNT on Monday after its disciplinary committee suspended the crimson card he was issued throughout final week’s match.
Balogun Proven Pink Card
Early within the second half of Wednesday night time’s match, Balogun was issued a crimson card after a VAR assessment for dragging his cleats down the again of Bosnia defender Tarik Muharemovic’s leg and onto his foot.
This play is being reviewed for a possible crimson card in opposition to the US pic.twitter.com/EdyPpgpycA
— FOX Sports activities (@FOXSports) July 2, 2026
Whereas Balogun was not even issued a yellow card in actual time, the VAR assessment deemed that the foul was worthy of a crimson card. Consequently, Balogun was despatched off, and the US was pressured to play the remaining half-hour of the match with simply 10 males. Greater than that, the crimson card additionally carried an computerized one-match suspension, which might imply that Balogun can be suspended for Monday’s match in opposition to Belgium, too.
Provided that there was no clear mechanism to enchantment, it appeared like the US can be pressured to play with out him on Monday. Balogun had even accepted the penalty, even when he didn’t agree with it.
“I’ve been unhappy, I’ve been joyful, it’s been surreal to be trustworthy. It’s essential for me to say, clearly, before everything, it was completely unintentional, which I’m certain lots of people know. I don’t assume it was the proper name. I feel a yellow card would have been honest,” Balogun mentioned this week.
Balogun Eligible to Play
In a surprising flip of occasions on Sunday, FIFA introduced that it had suspended Balogun’s crimson card suspension, making him eligible to play in opposition to Belgium on Monday.
“The FIFA disciplinary committee has imposed the next sanction on United States national-team participant Folarin Balogun, who was despatched off because of a direct crimson card through the FIFA World Cup 2026 match between the US and Bosnia and Herzegovina performed on 1 July 2026 at San Francisco Bay Space Stadium: One-match suspension for breaches of articles 14 and 66 of the FIFA disciplinary code (FDC),” FIFA wrote in a press release by way of The Athletic.
“Consistent with article 27 of the FIFA disciplinary code, the implementation of the match suspension is suspended for a probationary interval of 1 12 months. If Folarin Balogun commits one other infringement of the same nature and gravity through the probationary interval, the suspension shall be revoked and the sanction enforced with out prejudice to any further sanction imposed for the brand new infringement.”
This follows the same determination FIFA made concerning Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo. FIFA handed the Portugal captain a three-match ban, however the remaining two matches of that ban have been suspended for the same “one-year probation interval.”
In response to distinguished soccer reporter Ben Jacobs, the US was repeatedly advised that groups should not capable of enchantment crimson card suspensions, so the crew didn’t pursue an enchantment. The choice to permit Balogun to play got here from FIFA.
