FIFA has suspended the ban of USA top scorer Folarin Balogun and allowed him to play at the World Cup with Belgium

United States’ Folarin Balogun (20) fouls Bosnia’s Tarik Muharemovic (4) during the 32nd round of the FIFA World Cup in Santa Clara, Calif., near San Francisco, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. Balogun was shown a red card in the game. (AP photo) In a big boost for the United States ahead of their FIFA World Cup Round of 16 match against Belgium, forward Folarin Balogun will be available after his one-match ban was suspended by FIFA on Sunday.Balogun, the USA’s top scorer in the tournament with three goals, was sent off in the Americans’ 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday for stepping on Tarik Muharemović’s foot.His suspension meant he missed Tuesday’s qualifier against Belgium, but FIFA’s disciplinary committee overturned the decision under Article 27 of FIFA’s disciplinary rules.According to FIFA, the suspension was suspended for a probationary period of one year. If Balogun commits another offense of a similar nature during this period, his suspension will be reinstated and he will have to serve the one-match ban along with any punishment for the new offence.“The implementation of match suspensions is suspended for a trial period of one year,” FIFA announced on Sunday. “If Folarin Balogun commits another violation of a similar nature and gravity during the probationary period, the suspension will be lifted and the penalty enforced without prejudice to any additional penalty imposed for the new violation.”The United States Soccer Federation welcomed the decision and confirmed that Balogun will be available for the Belgium game.“We accept the decision of the disciplinary committee and are pleased that Folarin Balogun is fit to compete tomorrow,” US Soccer said in a statement. “Our full attention is focused on the round of 16 match against Belgium in Seattle and we look forward to the continued support of our amazing fans.”FIFA had previously used the same Article 27 provision to allow Cristiano Ronaldo to start in Portugal’s World Cup opener following his red card against the Republic of Ireland.The United States is seeking to reach the quarterfinals of the World Cup for the first time since 2002. Since then, they have been eliminated in the round of 16 by Ghana in 2010, Belgium in 2014 and the Netherlands in 2022. The Americans also exited the group stage in 2006 and failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup.