Wednesday, July 1, 2026, and Folarin Balogun is sent off in the USMNT’s Round of 32 win. For every single football team on the planet, that’s a one-match ban unless said otherwise. That was even the unofficial rule at the 2026 World Cup, with nations not able to appeal a red card. By Sunday, though, all that had changed after President Donald Trump stepped up the pressure and world football’s governing body gave in.

According to an exclusive by journalist and expert Ben Jacobs, the White House reached out to FIFA president Gianni Infantino. Their request was to review Folarin Balogun’s one-match ban after the striker was given a direct red card for a foul on Tarik Muharemovic. And the reporter indicated that FIFA did exactly that, after US Soccer submitted an appeal.

Previously, reports from The Athletic indicated that FIFA officials had explicitly told national teams that they couldn’t appeal red cards. Jacobs’ report, however, echoes The Guardian’s reporting, which revealed that President Trump made more than one call. According to the British news outlet, the American president reportedly made three calls to FIFA and their president.

All of this stemmed from Folarin Balogun’s sending-off. The American striker has been a beacon of hope for his side at the World Cup, with him key to all their impressive football. In fact, out of the ten goals the USMNT has scored at the 2026 tournament, Balogun has contributed to four. That included putting his side 1-0 up against Bosnia and Herzegovina before the half-time break.

Unfortunately, less than twenty minutes into the second half, the referee ruled that Balogun fouled Tarik Muharemovic. After a VAR review, the on-field official issued the striker a direct red card, resulting in a one-match ban. Thus, he will miss the USMNT’s Round of 16 clash against Belgium. That didn’t go down well with American fans, leading to an online clamour for the rules to be changed.

However, FIFA’s rules under Article 10.5 rightly led to Balogun’s dismissal. Following US Soccer’s appeal of the decision, however, the situation changed with President Trump’s intervention reportedly playing a role. Since then, FIFA has announced that they have suspended Folarin Balogun’s one-game ban for a year. It means that the striker is eligible for the USMNT’s Round of 16 game.

“In line with article 27 of the FIFA disciplinary code, the implementation of the match suspension is suspended for a probationary period of one year,” reads FIFA’s statement.

“If Folarin Balogun commits another infringement of a similar nature and gravity during the probationary period, the suspension shall be revoked and the sanction enforced without prejudice to any additional sanction imposed for the new infringement.”

In the aftermath of the announcement, FIFA’s decision delighted President Trump, who took to social media to celebrate. “Thank you to FIFA for doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice! President DONALD J. TRUMP,” wrote the American president.

That hasn’t gone down well with the Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA), who released a statement soon after the decision. In it, the RBFA revealed that they were “astonished” by the suspension and were looking into potential options. Not just that, as per Brent Scher, the RBFA have also hired a lawyer to fight back against the decision.

While Belgium questioned FIFA’s decision and explored its legal options, the mood inside the USMNT camp was very different. Captain Christian Pulisic was among the first to react after learning Balogun would be available for the Round of 16.

Christian Pulisic reflects on Folarin Balogun’s ban being suspended

Going into the 2026 World Cup, few fans gave the USMNT a chance of making a deep run. After all, under Mauricio Pochettino, the Americans had struggled to consistently deliver big performances in big moments, and hope was low. Then came their performances in the group stages as the USMNT blew teams apart.

Their performances had fans believing again, especially after they finished first in their group almost effortlessly. It set them up with a comparatively easier tie against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Round of 32. Pochettino’s side walked away with a hard-fought win that came at the cost of Folarin Balogun being sent off, and fans lost hope yet again.

The team, however, kept plugging on despite knowing that US Soccer were trying to appeal the decision and ensure that Balogun was eligible. And now that he is, few players are happier than Christian Pulisic, with the AC Milan star pleased with the decision.

“Obviously, for us it gives us a boost,” Pulisic told reporters at training, according to The Athletic. “I mean, if you look at the foul, it was just — it’s zero intent at all. I felt like there was much worse ones that went on at this tournament.

“Balo handled it so well, and I think the team handled it well. We weren’t here to complain or make some — like, you have to handle it in a good way, and, you know, good things happen to people like that. He was so positive and all for the team. It just feels right, I guess.”

Folarin Balogun will now feature against Belgium, but the circumstances behind his return have become the tournament’s bigger talking point. Questions over FIFA’s consistency are unlikely to disappear after the final whistle.