Balogun starts for US vs Belgium after FIFA suspends red card
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- Folarin Balogun was named in the US starting XI for Monday's round-of-16 match against Belgium in Seattle, after FIFA on Sunday suspended his red card from the Bosnia-Herzegovina win and placed him on a one-year probation.
- Mauricio Pochettino fielded the exact same lineup that beat Bosnia-Herzegovina 2-0, where Balogun scored the opening goal in the 45th minute before being sent off in the 64th minute for a challenge on Tarik Muharemovic.
- Belgium manager Rudi Garcia benched star players Jérémy Doku and Kevin De Bruyne, both of whom had featured prominently in Belgium's first four games (Doku missing one for the birth of his son).
- President Donald Trump confirmed he contacted FIFA president Gianni Infantino to ask about the suspension and whether the decision could be reviewed.
- FIFA's Infantino defended the ruling, stating "FIFA's judicial bodies are independent" and that their independence "must always be respected."
- Belgium's FA and UEFA publicly criticized the decision, with Belgium's federation saying it was "astonished by FIFA's decision" to declare Balogun eligible.
- The US is seeking to reach the World Cup quarterfinals for the first time since 2002.
Why it matters: The USMNT's tournament hinges on having their starting striker available in a knockout round they haven't won since 2002, and FIFA's independent disciplinary panel overrode a red card that would have ruled him out — a decision controversial enough to draw public objections from Belgium's federation and UEFA, plus a personal phone call from President Trump to FIFA's president.
