The FIFA Disciplinary Commission announced this Sunday, July 5, the suspension of the execution of the sanction imposed on the American striker Folarin Balogun, a resolution that will allow him to play the round of 16 match of the 2026 World Cup against Belgium.
Balogun had been sent off with a direct red card in the 64th minute of the round of 32 match against Bosnia and Herzegovina, after an action reviewed by the VAR in which he accidentally hit defender Tarik Muharemovic with his studs. The decision implied an automatic suspension for the next game.
The FIFA resolution puts an end, at least provisionally, to one of the main controversies of the 2026 World Cup. Balogun’s expulsion generated debate among referee analysts and fans, where numerous users compared the action with a similar play carried out by Lionel Messi in the match between Argentina and Algeria, during the group stage, in which the Argentine captain was not sanctioned with a red card. Prensa Libre documented that debate after the conclusion of the meeting.
The Disciplinary Committee applied article 27 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code ex officio and suspended the execution of the sanction for a trial period of one year. The red card remains in the player’s disciplinary file, but the match suspension will only take effect if he commits an infraction of a similar nature during that period.
Although the resolution was surprising because it occurred in the middle of the World Cup, it does not constitute an unprecedented precedent. FIFA had already applied a similar mechanism by reducing part of a sanction imposed on Cristiano Ronaldoleaving compliance with the punishment subject to a trial period, in accordance with the powers provided for in its Disciplinary Code.
The decision modifies the sports planning of the United States, which recovers one of its main offensive references for this Monday’s match against Belgium, in search of a ticket to the quarterfinals.
The resolution also provoked a reaction from the president of the United States, Donald Trump, who published a message on his Truth Social platform to thank FIFA for its determination.
“Thank you to FIFA for doing the right thing and reversing a great injustice,” the president wrote.
At the American rally, the news was received with satisfaction. Coach Mauricio Pochettino had defended since the end of the match against Bosnia and Herzegovina that Balogun’s action was accidental and did not justify an expulsion, a criterion that captain Christian Pulisic also supported.
FIFA’s decision also sets a precedent during the 2026 World Cup by confirming that the Disciplinary Commission can suspend ex officio the execution of an automatic sanction when it considers that the conditions provided for in the Disciplinary Code are met. Although these types of resolutions are rare in a World Cup, Balogun’s case demonstrates the margin of action that football’s governing body retains to review the disciplinary consequences of an expulsion.