On July 5, FIFA cleared USMNT forward Folarin Balogun to play in Monday's World Cup Round of 16 match against Belgium. The surprise decision suspends his automatic ban following a controversial red card at Levi's Stadium, clearing him to start in Seattle.
The red card had sparked immediate outrage. Reviewing the match records, FIFA officials acknowledged a major video assistant referee (VAR) error had forced the U.S. to play nearly a third of their last match a man down. The governing body stepped in to fix the mistake.
What this means for the U.S.
Having their top scorer back in the lineup is a massive boost for head coach Mauricio Pochettino ahead of the Belgium clash. But while the U.S. gets its star striker back, the ruling exposes glaring flaws in how VAR is used in high-stakes games.
Usually, red cards trigger automatic bans with zero room for appeal, regardless of referee errors. In this rare move, FIFA commuted the suspension to a one-year probation, essentially acknowledging that the video replay made a routine challenge look far worse than it was.
Why the VAR review failed
The VAR referee showed the head official slow-motion and still-frame clips of a natural physical challenge. This selective, slowed-down footage made the contact on defender Tarik Muharemovic look highly aggressive. Based on those distorted angles, the center ref issued a straight red without ever viewing the play at real-time speed.
Former referees and analysts slammed the decision. Rules experts Andy Davies and Graham Scott pointed out that slow-motion replays should only be used to identify the point of contact, not to judge intent.
Who made the call?
The FIFA Disciplinary Committee commuted the ban under Article 27 of the Disciplinary Code after reviewing the clear procedural errors from the match.
"It was totally unintentional, which I think most people saw," Balogun said of the challenge, adding that a yellow card would have been fair. "But now the focus is entirely on the next round."
U.S. Soccer welcomed the decision. "We are pleased Folarin Balogun is eligible to compete tomorrow," the federation stated, noting that the team is fully focused on Belgium.
Has FIFA done this before?
Yes, but it's incredibly rare. FIFA used the same rule to commute a ban for Cristiano Ronaldo in November 2025. Ronaldo had his three-match ban cut to one after striking an opponent in a qualifier, allowing him to start the 2026 tournament. That rare precedent paved the way for Balogun's clearance today.
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