The only downside of the USMNT's 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Round of 32 World Cup knockout game was that striker Folarin Balogun was sent off. A day before the US Men's National Team's biggest game of the 2026 World Cup, a report from The Athletic emerged stating that he will be available for the game despite the striker picking up a red card in the previous match.
The reason Balogun will be able to play in the match is that Article 27 of FIFA's disciplinary code provides for a judicial body that can suspend the "implementation of a disciplinary measure." Essentially, it means FIFA can pick and choose whether a referee's discipline was "just". In this case, that judicial body has deemed that a suspension of the red card discipline, meaning Balogun can play in the Round of 16 for the USA. This is pretty much unprecedented, as only Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo has had a similar ruling by FIFA's judicial body.
For those who have no idea what this means, here's a timeline of events that will now allow the USMNT's top striker to play in the upcoming match.
Balogun was given a red card after a slow-motion VAR review showed he stepped on the ankle of a Bosnia and Herzegovina player in the USA's Round of 32 match. The call was questionable, but it was given. Balogun walked off the pitch; the USA still won 2-0.
After the final whistle, the striker came out onto the pitch, not to yell or contest the referee but to shake his hand. He was asked about this by the media, and Balogun was quoted saying, "There are lots of people we're inspiring, boys and girls watching. You have to show them the right way to handle things, even when you think it's unjust."
That's amazing forethought from the 25-year-old who is becoming the new star of the USMNT. Balogun has been an integral part of the USA's World Cup run, having a goal contribution in each of the three games he's played so far. He will be a huge asset against an experienced Belgium squad when the teams take the field in Seattle on Monday night.
The moral of this story is twofold. On the one hand, it looks a bit shady that FIFA's judicial body suspends a red card for one of the World Cup hosts before their biggest game ever. On the other hand, it feels like justice was served to a player who unintentionally stepped on another player, a situation that needs a slo-mo VAR review to call a red card. Whichever way you see it, Balogun is a class act and didn't moan about a call he disagreed with; now he is allowed to play the sport he loves for the nation he calls home!
