FIFA just did something it almost never does: reversed a red card suspension during a World Cup. And it did so after the President of the United States reportedly called FIFA President Gianni Infantino to lobby for the decision.
Folarin Balogun, the US men’s national team striker who had been leading his squad in goals during the 2026 World Cup, is now cleared to play in the round-of-16 match against Belgium. Three days ago, that seemed impossible.
What happened on the pitch
Balogun received a straight red card in the 64th minute of the US team’s 2-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina on July 2. The foul, a challenge on Tarik Muharemovic, triggered an automatic one-match suspension under FIFA’s disciplinary rules.
Here’s the thing about automatic suspensions for straight red cards in FIFA tournaments: they’re supposed to be non-appealable. That’s not a gray area. It’s baked into the rulebook as a feature, not a bug, designed to keep the disciplinary process clean and consistent across all 48 teams competing.
