Folarin Balogun Cleared for USA vs Belgium World Cup Match After FIFA Red Card Reversal
Folarin Balogun is going to play against Belgium. The soccer world is going to be talking about how he got there for a long time.
The USMNT striker was cleared to play in Monday’s Round of 16 match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after FIFA reversed his one game suspension. His red card from the group stage match against Bosnia and Herzegovina, when he stepped on defender Tarik Muharemovic’s ankle in the 64th minute, will now sit as a suspended sentence during a year long probationary period.
That is a big deal, and it is also a big controversy.
FIFA typically issues automatic one game bans for red cards at the World Cup. That is the standard. The USMNT was expecting to play Belgium without their starting striker, which would have been a huge blow given how important Balogun has been to this team’s tournament run.
Then reports emerged of a phone call between former President Donald Trump, who has been heavily involved in the U.S. hosting effort, and FIFA president Gianni Infantino. What was said on that call has not been fully disclosed. The lack of transparency is what has infuriated Belgium and the wider soccer world.
The Royal Belgian Football Association released a statement saying it was “astonished” by FIFA’s decision. Belgium filed an appeal. FIFA denied that appeal just hours before kickoff on Monday.
You can pick your side on this one. USMNT fans are thrilled. Belgium fans are furious. Neutral observers are asking legitimate questions about the process. What is clear is that Balogun is now on the field for the biggest USMNT match in years.
Balogun himself called the whole thing an “emotional roller coaster.” That is fair. Getting sent off, being told you are going to miss the next match, and then being told at the last minute you are actually cleared to play is a wild sequence of events, and it does not make it any easier to prepare mentally for a Round of 16 game.
The USMNT needs Balogun to be at his best. Belgium is a real test. Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku are still world class. The Belgian midfield is dangerous. The U.S. defense will have to be locked in, and the attack has to score.
Balogun scored in the 2-0 group stage win over Bosnia and Herzegovina before the red card. He has been the U.S. focal point up top. Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie generate creativity around him, but Balogun is the guy who has to convert chances.
This is also going to have a lasting effect regardless of the result. The transparency questions around FIFA’s decision are not going away. Belgium is going to press for answers. Rival federations are going to raise their own concerns. If it becomes a pattern, FIFA is going to have a real credibility problem heading into the 2030 World Cup cycle.
For Monday, though, the focus is on the pitch. Balogun is available. The USMNT has one of the toughest matches in program history. The winner moves on to the quarterfinals of a home World Cup, and the loser goes home wondering what could have been.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
