Balogun Cleared for US vs Belgium as FIFA Suspends Ban
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- Folarin Balogun is available for the US World Cup last-16 tie against Belgium after FIFA suspended his one-game ban
- Balogun received a straight red card for a foul on Bosnia-Herzegovina defender Tarik Muharemovic during the US's 2-0 last-16 win
- FIFA invoked article 27 of its disciplinary code, placing the suspension on a one-year probationary period rather than enforcing it immediately
- The probation terms state that any future infringement of similar nature and gravity during the year would revoke the suspension and enforce the original sanction
- The 25-year-old striker would otherwise have been ruled out of the knockout match against Belgium
Why it matters: The US retain their striker for a win-or-go-home World Cup knockout match against Belgium, but Balogun now plays the entire rest of the year under a disciplinary leash — any foul FIFA deems comparable to the Muharemovic challenge snaps the ban straight back into force.
