NEED TO KNOW

• USMNT star Folarin Balogun received a red card suspension during a July 1 World Cup match
• FIFA reversed the controversial call on July 5, making Balogun eligible to play in the USA’s round of 16 match against Belgium on July 6
• The Royal Belgian Football Association later appealed the decision, but FIFA denied their request

Folarin Balogun’s one-game suspension caused a stir when he received a red card during the United States’ World Cup match against Bosnia and Herzegovina on July 1.

The drama has only intensified when that ban was lifted following a phone call FIFA reportedly received from President Donald Trump.

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“All I did, I asked for a review because I didn’t think it was a foul,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office after the United States Men’s National Soccer Team (USMNT) star’s suspension was reversed, allowing him to play against Belgium on July 6, per USA Today.

The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) said in a statement that FIFA’s decision “crossed a red line,” and the Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) appealed Balogun’s eligibility, though the appeal was denied, per The Athletic.

Here’s everything to know about Folarin Balogun’s red card controversy.

Folarin Balogun was red-carded during USA’s match against Bosnia on July 1

During the USMNT’s match against Bosnia and Herzegovina on July 1, Balogun was ejected from the game after he stepped on opponent Tarik Muharemovic’s ankle. Many fans, including the striker’s coach, questioned the call, saying that the move clearly wasn’t intentional.

“For me, never is it a red card,” USMNT coach Mauricio Pochettino said during the post-match press conference. “It was a normal action in football that happened by accident. There was never any intention … and that is why, for me, it is never a red card.”

Balogun was initially given a one-game suspension following the call

The red card resulted in a one-game suspension, meaning that the striker would have to sit out the U.S.’s matchup against Belgium on July 6. Following the news, Balogun told reporters, per ESPN, that the misstep was “unavoidable” and that “a yellow card would have been more fair.” Still, he said that he planned to attend the game to support his team.

“You can feel like something [unjust] happened to you,” he explained. “It’s not an excuse to be disrespectful, to not do the right thing.”

President Trump admitted to calling the FIFA President about the ruling

On July 5, The New York Timesreported that President Trump called FIFA president Gianni Infantino hours after Balogun received the red card, asking him to review the suspension. Trump later admitted to making that call and told reporters he did so because he didn’t believe the incident was a foul.

“I saw the play, and I’m a person who loves sports and was a good athlete,” President Trump told reporters on July 6. “That wasn’t a foul. That wasn’t even an infraction.”

FIFA overturned the suspension one day before the USA’s match against Belgium

On July 5, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee reversed Balogun’s suspension in favor of a year-long probationary period, making him eligible to play in the round of 16 game against Belgium. The organization cited Article 27 in its code of discipline, which allows it to “fully or partially suspend the implementation of a disciplinary measure.”

Following the announcement, President Trump thanked FIFA for “doing what was right” and “reversing a great injustice” from the official White House X account.

Belgium’s appeal to reinstate Balogun’s suspension was denied

The RBFA quickly appealed FIFA’s decision, saying in a statement obtained by The Athletic that it had “no alternative but to challenge [Balogun’s] eligibility for the upcoming match.” FIFA denied the appeal as “inadmissible” and said in a statement that “the RBFA is not a party to the proceedings and, as such, has no standing to appeal the decision.”

In response, the RBFA claimed it still hadn’t received information about FIFA’s decision, which was “a breach of FIFA regulations.”

“To date, the RBFA has still not received any grounds for this decision, nor has it received the information it has been requesting since the start of this procedure for a copy of the decision and the motivation declaring the player eligible as well as the referee’s report,” the organization shared in a statement, noting that “further actions” remained open.

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