Folarin Balogun, the top scorer for the U.S. Men’s National Team, will be eligible to play in their World Cup match against Belgium on Monday. This decision was made by FIFA’s disciplinary committee after they lifted a red card suspension he received on Wednesday.
The news was first reported by The Athletic and confirmed by U.S. Soccer. The organization expressed its pleasure at Balogun being able to compete in the Seattle, Washington match.
FIFA did not revoke the red card entirely but stated that if Balogun commits another similar infringement during his one-year probation period, the suspension will be revoked.
The incident occurred during a game against Bosnia and Herzegovina when Balogun collided with a Bosnian defender. He was given a red card after landing on his ankle following the collision. The U.S. won that match but Balogun’s suspension meant he would miss Belgium’s game.
This decision has been praised by President Trump, who called it “what was right” and reversing a “great injustice”. Fellow USMNT players Christian Pulisic, Alex Freeman, and Chris Richards said they are confident in Balogun’s return.