United States men’s national team striker Folarin Balogun will officially be available for the team’s World Cup game Monday night against Belgium in Seattle.
Belgium had appealed FIFA’s decision to void Balogun’s one-game suspension from the red card he received in the Round of 32 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina. FIFA has now dismissed the appeal, paving the way for the striker to play.
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FIFA issued a statement obtained by The Athletic. It said in part, “the RBFA Royal Belgian Football Association) is not a party to the proceedings and, as such, has no standing to appeal the decision.”
Balogun was expected to be suspended for the match after receiving a red card in the United States’ win over Bosnia-Herzegovina. The striker was trying to make a play for the ball against defender Tarik Muharemović.
Upon review, which when slowed down showed Balogun clearly stepping on the defender’s ankle, he was shown a red card and sent off early in the second half of the match against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
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The red card came with an automatic one-game suspension, per Article 10.5 of FIFA’s World Cup rules.
Just a few days later, Balogun’s suspension was suspended. Article 27 of FIFA’s code of discipline was cited as the basis for the decision.
“The judicial body may decide to fully or partially suspend the implementation of a disciplinary measure.
If the person benefiting from a suspended sanction commits another infringement of a similar nature and gravity during the probationary period, the suspension shall be revoked by the judicial body and the sanction enforced without prejudice to any additional sanction imposed for the new infringement.”
FIFA released a statement about the ruling. “By operation of Article 27 FDC, the implementation of the automatic match suspension for USA player Folarin Balogun is suspended for a probationary period of one (1) year.”
The Balogun decision appears to be only the second known instance of FIFA lifting a World Cup red-card suspension, and the first since Brazil’s Garrincha was cleared to play in the 1962 final after being sent off in the semifinal.
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