WC 2026 ⚽ · 5 July 2026
Balogun cleared to play for US despite red card
Bryan Berlin via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
US forward Folarin Balogun is eligible to participate in the World Cup knockout stage match against Belgium because FIFA overturned his red card suspension. This remarkable action by FIFA came after US President Donald Trump contacted FIFA President Gianni Infantino. The Belgian Royal Football Association expressed its "astonishment" at the ruling, pointing to regulations that mandate an automatic suspension for the subsequent game after a red card.
Reported by Reuters · How we write briefs