SEATTLE — Folarin Balogun, the U.S. men’s soccer team’s leading scorer at this World Cup, will be available for Monday’s much-anticipated showdown against Belgium after FIFA announced Sunday that it had suspended his automatic one-game ban.
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The decision changes the tenor of the round-of-16 matchup for the Americans, who had been preparing for the possibility of facing one of Europe’s top teams without the striker who has given their attack a new dimension. Instead, Balogun is eligible to play as the United States tries to reach its first World Cup quarterfinal since 2002.
FIFA’s disciplinary committee said Sunday the automatic suspension will be put on hold for a probationary period of one year under Article 27 of its disciplinary code, a notable — and surprising — reprieve after Balogun’s red card against Bosnia drew the ire of U.S. fans and sparked debate among soccer analysts.
“If Folarin Balogun commits another infringement of a similar nature and gravity during the probationary period, the suspension shall be revoked and the sanction enforced without prejudice to any additional sanction imposed for the new infringement,” a FIFA statement read.
The announcement was welcome news to U.S. soccer players and supporters alike, including President Donald Trump, who posted to social media Sunday afternoon, “Thank you to FIFA for doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice!”
U.S. soccer officials had been in regular contact with FIFA since the red card was issued. It learned of the disciplinary committee’s decision Sunday morning, and Balogun was informed of the news during a team meeting on the bus to training at the University of Washington.
“I thought it was AI at first,” defender Chris Richards said. “I mean, there’s a lot of people posting a lot of stuff. So we weren’t sure if it was true or not.”
U.S. Coach Mauricio Pochettino is expected to address reporters later Sunday at a regularly scheduled news conference in Seattle. In a statement, a U.S. team spokesman said, “We accept the decision of the Disciplinary Committee and are pleased that Folarin Balogun is eligible to compete tomorrow. Our full attention is focused on the Round of 16 match against Belgium in Seattle, and we look forward to the continued support of our amazing fans.”
Balogun was shown a red card in the 64th minute of the United States’ 2-0 victory over Bosnia in the round of 32 on Wednesday in Santa Clara, California. The dismissal, which came after video review, appeared set to rule him out of the Belgium match and leave the Americans without their most dangerous finisher on the biggest U.S. men’s soccer stage in a generation.
His red card briefly threatened to change the shape of the U.S. tournament. Balogun’s cleat caught Bosnia defender Tarik Muharemovic in the second half Wednesday, and after referee Raphael Claus went to the sideline monitor, he sent Balogun off for serious foul play. The decision drew boos from the U.S.-heavy crowd in Santa Clara and immediate criticism from the Americans.
Balogun told reporters Friday that he believed the play should have been handled differently.
“If you played the game, you would understand there’s scenarios that you simply can’t avoid and it has to be taken into context when it’s being reviewed,” Balogun said. “I felt it wasn’t on this occasion. But as you all saw, there’s nowhere else to put your leg. It’s going to be unavoidable. I’ve seen many different opinions and takes, but for me personally, I think a yellow card would have been fair. It’s something that’s happened, so we have to move forward and I have to accept it. But the most important thing is just to focus on the bigger picture, which is Belgium.”
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Balogun did not address the media Sunday, but teammates relayed that he met the news with levelheaded enthusiasm.
“If you look at the foul, it was zero intent at all, and I felt like there was much worse ones that went on in this tournament,” forward Christian Pulisic said. “Balo handled it so well, and I think the team handled it well. We weren’t here to complain. You have to handle it in a good way, and good things happen to people like that.”
Balogun has been one of the revelations of the Americans’ home World Cup run. The 25-year-old Brooklyn-born striker, raised in London by Nigerian parents, scored twice in the tournament opener against Paraguay, was rested for the group-stage finale against Turkey and then scored the breakthrough goal against Bosnia.
He has three goals in the tournament and has been involved in at least one goal in every World Cup match he has played. His speed, movement and finishing have given the Americans the kind of frontline threat they have long searched for.
“Balo is always available,” Pulisic said. “I feel like when I have the ball, when others have the ball, he’s making runs, he’s so strong, he’s quick, and he does a lot of good things. So, for us to play with a guy like that, it just makes it easy.”
Pochettino also disagreed with the red card after Wednesday’s match, saying later that Balogun’s challenge was a “normal action” and that “it never was intentional.”
The Americans managed to survive the final half-hour down a man. Malik Tillman later scored to ensure Balogun’s ejection did not define the night. But until Sunday’s ruling, the red card still threatened to follow the Americans to Seattle.
Without Balogun, Pochettino likely would have had to turn to Ricardo Pepi or Haji Wright to lead the line against Belgium, while leaning even more heavily on Pulisic to generate chances against one of Europe’s most dangerous teams. Now the Americans can enter the round of 16 with their preferred attacking structure intact.
The winner Monday will move on to the quarterfinals, a stage the U.S. men have not reached since their memorable run in South Korea and Japan 24 years ago.
“We want to change the sport here in America,” midfielder Weston McKennie said. “I feel like we’ve been doing that, and we have a chance to make it even bigger.”
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Maese reported from Washington.
