FIFA has suspended Folarin Balogun's automatic one-match ban, allowing the United States striker to face Belgium in the World Cup Round of 16. While his red card remains on record, the sanction has been deferred under Article 27 of FIFA's Disciplinary Code. The rare ruling mirrors a similar probationary disciplinary decision previously applied to Cristiano Ronaldo.
The United States received a major boost ahead of its FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 clash against Belgium after FIFA suspended Folarin Balogun's automatic one-match ban, allowing the striker to feature in the knockout fixture. Balogun had been sent off in the 64th minute of the United States' 2-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Round of 32.
A straight red is grounds for an automatic ban, meaning Balogun should not have been in line to feature against Belgium. However, FIFA's Disciplinary Committee used Article 27 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code to suspend the execution of the sanction rather than overturn the dismissal itself.
Why was Balogun banned?
Balogun was sent off in the 64th minute of the United States' 2-0 Round of 32 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina. Referee Raphael Claus initially produced a yellow card before upgrading it to a straight red after reviewing the challenge on the pitch-side VAR monitor.
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