Balogun cleared to play against Belgium after red card: Trump thanks FIFA

Previously, Argentine US national team coach Mauricio Pochettino had sharply criticized the decision of Brazilian referee Raphael Claus. Balogun had been sent off with a direct red card in the 64th minute of the match against Bosnia and Herzegovina after a foul on Tarik Muharemovic in which he had stepped on the opponent's ankle. The USA won the encounter 2:0, with Balogun himself having scored as well.

Reactions from the USA

For me it was never a red card. It was never intentional, Pochettino said after the match. The coach later added: At no point was it his intention to hit the player. It was an entirely normal action in football. Balogun himself had, by his own account, already written off the round of 16 before FIFA's surprising change of heart.

FIFA's intervention of this kind is new in the current tournament. As the portal The Athletic first reported, the lifting of a suspension following a red card is unprecedented at this World Cup. Comparable decisions at previous major events had also only been made in exceptional cases.

Political dimension: Trump and Rubio

President Donald Trump, who according to his own statements had not personally attended any World Cup match up to the time of reporting and is expected at the stadium by the final on July 19 at the latest in East Rutherford near New York, thanked FIFA. On his platform Truth Social, he wrote: Thank you to FIFA for doing what is right and righting a great injustice. The post ended with the words: President DONALD J. TRUMP.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio also commented on the case. In the White House press room, Rubio said about the US team: They have been treated like shit. He thereby echoed the criticism of the Brazilian official's original decision and placed it in a broader political context.

Sporting significance for the USA

For Pochettino's team, the news is of considerable sporting importance. Balogun is, alongside Christian Pulisic, one of the most important attacking forces of the US team and has scored three goals in the tournament so far: two in the group stage and one in the round of 16 against Bosnia and Herzegovina. His absence would have significantly reduced the co-host's chances in the round of 16.

On the Belgian side, no absences are expected according to the US federation. This sets up a duel in the early hours of Tuesday in which the USA can nominally take the field at full strength. The match will be played in East Rutherford, where the final of the tournament is scheduled.

Rules and comparable cases

The case shines a spotlight on the interpretation of Article 27 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code. This provision allows bans to be suspended in full or in part on probation when special circumstances exist or the player's culpability is deemed minor. FIFA, however, did not provide substantive reasoning for its step, merely referring to the formal legal basis of the provision.

A comparable case had previously involved Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo was shown a red card in November in a World Cup qualifier against Ireland after an elbowing incident against Dara O'Shea. FIFA had originally imposed a three-match ban, of which only the following qualifier against Armenia was actually served. The remaining two matches were also suspended on probation.

For Balogun, the decision means he can demonstrate his goal-scoring threat in the round of 16. Even in the match against Bosnia and Herzegovina, he scored a goal despite the sending-off in the 64th minute, extending his tournament tally to three goals. His importance to the USA's attacking play can hardly be overstated, as he both initiates the team's pressing as a central striker and serves as a finisher.

The reaction from the White House also shows that the sport-political dimension of the case has been perceived beyond the pitch. The fact that the President of the United States personally thanked FIFA is a remarkable occurrence in the context of a World Cup being held in the USA, Canada, and Mexico. It underscores the symbolic significance of the tournament for the host country.

Outlook on the round of 16

Further along in the tournament, the winner of USA vs. Belgium will face a quarterfinal opponent from the bracket of the other round-of-16 match. Aware of the sporting explosiveness of the decision, the US public is now looking ahead with anticipation to Tuesday's duel, in which Balogun and Pulisic are expected to jointly form the hosts' offensive axis.

Overall, the episode illustrates the tension between sporting interpretation of the rules and political influence at a mega-event. While FIFA formally points to Article 27, the US president's public intervention lends the decision a political dimension that extends beyond the actual match.