FIFA lifts Balogun red card ban for World Cup match

In an unprecedented move that has ignited a major controversy over sports governance, FIFA has cleared United States striker Folarin Balogun to play in a crucial World Cup match, overturning an automatic suspension following a reported personal intervention by U.S. President Donald Trump. The decision, announced on July 5, allows Balogun to participate in the round of 16 match against Belgium on July 6 in Seattle, despite receiving a red card in the U.S. team’s previous match.

Balogun was sent off in the 64th minute of the U.S. victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina on July 1 after a VAR review ruled his contact with an opponent constituted serious foul play. Under FIFA’s World Cup regulations and disciplinary code, a straight red card triggers an automatic one-match suspension with no standard appeal process. FIFA’s disciplinary committee invoked Article 27 of its disciplinary code to suspend the ban for a one-year probationary period, a mechanism it has used previously, including recently for Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo.

The decision drew immediate and fierce condemnation from European football authorities and Belgium. The Royal Belgian Football Association stated it was...