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FIFA suspends Balogun's red card, allowing him to play vs. Belgium
🇦🇷 Argentina /Sports

FIFA suspends Balogun's red card, allowing him to play vs. Belgium

From La Nación · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Outcome reported
  • FIFA suspended Folarin Balogun's red card for one year, allowing him to play in the World Cup knockout match against Belgium.
  • Balogun received the red card for stepping on an opponent's ankle during the U.S. team's victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina.
  • U.S. President Donald Trump thanked FIFA for reversing the decision, calling it a reversal of a great injustice.

American forward Folarin Balogun will be allowed to play in the World Cup knockout match against Belgium, despite receiving a red card in the previous round. FIFA announced Sunday that it has suspended the punishment for one year.

Balogun scored his third World Cup goal in the U.S. team's 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, he was sent off in the second half for stepping on the ankle of Bosnia's Tarik Muharemovic. The co-host team had to play the remainder of the elimination-round match with one less player.

Thank you to FIFA for doing the right thing and reversing a great injustice!

— Donald TrumpU.S. President Donald Trump's reaction on his Truth Social platform to FIFA's decision.

U.S. President Donald Trump expressed his gratitude to FIFA for not enforcing the sanction. "Thank you to FIFA for doing the right thing and reversing a great injustice!" Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform shortly after FIFA announced the suspension of Balogun's ban.

In accordance with Article 27 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, the execution of the match suspension is suspended for a probationary period of one year. If Folarin Balogun commits another infringement of a similar nature and gravity during the probationary period, the suspension will be revoked and the sanction applied, without prejudice to any further sanction imposed for the new infringement.

— FIFAFIFA's official statement explaining the suspension of Balogun's red card.

"In accordance with Article 27 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, the execution of the match suspension is suspended for a probationary period of one year," FIFA stated in a release. "If Folarin Balogun commits another infringement of a similar nature and gravity during the probationary period, the suspension will be revoked and the sanction applied, without prejudice to any further sanction imposed for the new infringement." The organization has the discretionary power to suspend the application of a disciplinary sanction in whole or in part.

"We accept the decision of the Disciplinary Committee and are pleased that Folarin Balogun can play tomorrow," the U.S. Soccer Federation declared in a statement. The Belgian team had no immediate comment on Balogun's availability for Monday's match in Seattle.

We accept the decision of the Disciplinary Committee and are pleased that Folarin Balogun can play tomorrow.

— U.S. Soccer FederationThe U.S. Soccer Federation's reaction to FIFA's decision.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by La Nación in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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