What to know after FIFA lifts suspension of U.S. star Folarin Balogun

By — James Ellingworth, Associated Press James Ellingworth, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/what-to-know-after-fifa-lifts-suspension-of-u-s-star-folarin-balogun Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter What to know after FIFA lifts suspension of U.S. star Folarin Balogun Nation Jul 6, 2026 2:23 PM EDT FIFA's stunning decision to lift the suspension of a star U.S. player has riled the host country's next World Cup opponent, Belgium, and sent soccer fans -- and political leaders -- into a frenzy over the influence President Donald Trump may have had over the extremely rare ruling. Hours before kickoff, FIFA dismissed Belgium's challenge to the most-debated political intervention in a World Cup in decades. That means forward Folarin Balogun is eligible to play on Monday night in Seattle. A win would send the U.S. to the quarterfinals, which would be the best U.S. result at a men's World Cup since 2002. FIFA lifted Balogun's suspension on Sunday following a call Trump made to the global soccer organization's president, Gianni Infantino. Here's a deeper look at the controversy. Why Balogun and the red card matter Born in New York to Nigerian parents, raised in London, and playing in the French league, Balogun's birthright citizenship made him eligible for the U.S. Securing his commitment to play on the American team was a coup and it has paid off; the 25-year-old leads the team's World Cup scoring with three goals. READ MORE: FIFA questioned as Trump, Infantino defend actions surrounding ruling to let Balogun play in U.S. match All was well until Wednesday when he stepped on opponent Tarik Muharemovic's ankle in a 2-0 win over Bosnia-Herzegovina in the round of 32. The decision to send off Balogun was disputed — his movement seemed clumsy but not malicious. But once a referee decides to issue a red card, the punishment is usually straightforward: the player is excluded from the rest of the game and — until now, at least — a suspension for the next game is automatic. If the ban had stayed in place, replacing Balogun in the lineup posed a big challenge for coach Mauricio Pochettino. The U.S. has plenty of attacking players in wider or deeper roles, but few with the combination of physical power and goal-scoring ability for the center-forward role that the rest of the offense focuses around. Likely replacement Ricardo Pepi hasn't scored in four World Cup games. FIFA's explanation and what it didn't say There is typically no appeals process against the automatic one-game ban, only for longer sanctions usually applied to the most serious fouls like violent conduct or racism. In its decision to let Balogun play against Belgium, FIFA cited article 27 of its disciplinary code, which says a "judicial body" can "fully or partially suspend the implementation of a disciplinary measure." Balogun could yet get that one-game suspension on top of any future punishment i