USA World Cup forward Folarin Balogun is set to play in Monday’s Round of 16 match against Belgium after FIFA suspended the red card sanction he received in the previous game against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Balogun was shown a red card after stepping on the foot of Bosnia and Herzegovina defender Tarik Muharemovic during the Round of 32 match held on July 1, 2026, at the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium in Santa Clara, California. The decision came following a VAR review by Brazilian referee Raphael Claus to assess the severity of the foul.

The Athletic reported that FIFA’s disciplinary code allows the judicial body to fully or partially suspend disciplinary measures. In this case, FIFA suspended Balogun’s red card sanction for a probationary period of one year, enabling him to compete in the upcoming match.

Balogun commented on the incident, stating, "First and foremost, it was totally unintentional, which I'm sure a lot of people know. But, you know, I think the choice of the referee was, of course, his choice, but I don't think it was the correct call." He added, "I think a yellow card would have been fair due to it not being intentional. There's not many places I can place my foot in such a scenario. But it's happened, and it's something that I have to accept and move forward from."

The United States team expressed acceptance of FIFA's decision, with Balogun stating, "We accept the decision of the Disciplinary Committee and are pleased that Folarin Balogun is eligible to compete tomorrow."

The team is now focused on their match against Belgium in Seattle and looks forward to the support of their fans.

Article 9.6 of the 2026 World Cup regulations states that no protests may be made regarding referees’ decisions on facts connected with play.

Sources