Folarin Balogun has controversially avoided a one-match ban following his red card against Bosnia & Herzegovina but has still been met with some serious FIFA consequences for his dismissal23:02, 06 Jul 2026Updated 23:13, 06 Jul 2026USA striker Folarin Balogun has still been fined THOUSANDS despite having escaped suspension for his red card. The Monaco forward was sent off for a high challenge in his nation’s World Cup victory against Bosnia & Herzegovina.‌But he saw that ban suspended by a year following a review by a FIFA Disciplinary Committee, meaning he was free to play against Belgium on Tuesday morning, triggering outrage from the Belgian FA and UEFA. It has also seen FIFA President Gianni Infantino court controversy, having seemingly spoken to USA President Donald Trump ahead of the decision being made.‌Despite that, Balogun, 25, has still had to pay up. Football’s governing body has hit the US forward with a $40,000 (£29.8k) fine, half of which is payable by the US Soccer Federation.‌A statement from FIFA read: "In addition to the suspended match ban, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee imposed a fine of USD 40,000, allocating half of the amount to the violation of Article 14 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code and half to the violation of Article 66 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code. The U.S. Soccer Federation was declared jointly liable for payment of the fine pursuant to Article 6.5 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code."The punishment comes after a lengthy statement from Infantino suggesting he had little say in the decision for Balogun’s suspension to be reversed.He wrote: “I have seen the public comments regarding the decision of the independent FIFA Disciplinary Committee related to the suspension of Folarin Balogun, and I would like to reiterate a fundamental principle of FIFA’s governance.‌“FIFA’s judicial bodies are independent. They operate autonomously, apply the FIFA Disciplinary Code, and decide cases based on the applicable regulations and the specific facts before them. Their independence is essential to the credibility and integrity of football, and this must always be respected.“Yes, I regularly discuss matters related to the FIFA World Cup with the President of the United States, and on this matter, I did receive a call from President Donald Trump, just as I receive calls from heads of state, government officials, football stakeholders and business executives from around the world on many different issues.“During our conversation, I explained that there was an ongoing legal process involving FIFA’s independent judicial bodies and that the case would be decided in due course by the competent bodies. That is how FIFA’s system works, and it is a principle that I will always uphold.‌“I read the decisions of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee when they are issued. Sometimes I am surprised by them. Sometimes I agree with them, and sometimes I disagree.“What I always do, however, is respect those decisions and the autonomy of the bodies that make them. Whether we personally like a decision or not is irrelevant.Article continues below“Respect for independent institutions and the rule of law is what protects the integrity of our competitions and the credibility of FIFA at all times.”Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.Content cannot be displayed without consent