FIFA’s decision to overturn the red card suspension for USMNT star Folarin Balogun has left many fans wondering how the American striker will be able to play against Belgium.
Balogun’s red card was highly controversial and led to calls for an appeals process.
While no mechanism existed to allow US Soccer to appeal the suspension, FIFA announced on Sunday that they would be reversing the decision and clearing the striker to play in Seattle on Monday in the Round of 16.
In justifying its decision, FIFA cited Article 27 of its regulations – confirming this in a statement released after the initial reports of the overturn.
‘By operation of Article 27 FDC, the implementation of the automatic suspension for USA player Folarin Balogun is suspended for a probationary period of one [1] year,’ read the statement.
Article 27, titled ‘Suspension of Implementation of Disciplinary Measures,’ reads as follows: ‘1. The judicial body may decide to fully or partially suspend the implementation of a disciplinary measure. 2. By suspending the implementation of the sanction, the judicial body subjects the person sanctioned to a probationary period of one to four years.’
FIFA has revealed the mechanism for their overturning of Folarin Balogun’s suspension
In the FIFA Disciplinary Code, the governing body has the ability to ‘fully or partially suspend the implementation of a disciplinary measure’ and has delayed Balogun’s suspension for a year
FIFA previously applied this rule to allow for Cristiano Ronaldo to play in the first two games of this World Cup following a horror challenge against Ireland that led to a three-game suspension
The statute further states that if the person benefitting from a suspended sanction commits another infringement of a similar nature, ‘the suspension [of the initial punishment] shall be revoked by the judicial body and the sanction enforced without prejudice to any additional sanction imposed for the new infringement.’
Balogun is not the first player to benefit from this rule, with FIFA previously using Article 27 in favor of Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo.
In November 2025, Ronaldo violently lashed out in his nation’s penultimate World Cup Qualifying match against the Republic of Ireland. A VAR review resulted in him getting a red card.
Ronaldo was then hit with a three match suspension. This would have meant he would miss not only the final qualifying match, but also the first two matches of this year’s World Cup.
However, FIFA invoked Article 27 and allowed for a one-year probation period on the suspensions in the second and third games – allowing Ronaldo to play in the group stage matches against the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uzbekistan at the World Cup.
So while the decision to overturn Balogun’s suspension is controversial, there is precedent established by FIFA to protect one of the game’s most popular players.
Naturally, this reaction has divided the sports world. While some view this as flagrant corruption to benefit the United States, others believe this is the correct move due to the dubious nature of the initial red card.
After FIFA’s decision, US President Donald Trump posted to Truth Social and said, ‘Thank you to FIFA for doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice!’
