United States President Donald Trump has publicly thanked FIFA after the world football governing body suspended the one-match ban imposed on USA striker Folarin Balogun, making him eligible for the country’s FIFA World Cup Round of 16 clash against Belgium.
Balogun had been set to miss Monday’s knockout fixture after receiving a straight red card during the United States’ 2-0 Round of 32 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee suspended the enforcement of the automatic ban under Article 27 of its disciplinary code, allowing the striker to feature against Belgium while placing him on a one-year probationary period.
Reacting to the development, Trump welcomed FIFA’s decision and described it as the correction of an injustice.
“Thank you to FIFA for doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice!” the president wrote on his Truth Social platform after the announcement.
The decision is a significant boost for the United States, with Balogun emerging as one of the team’s standout performers at the tournament. The 25-year-old forward has scored three goals and played a key role in the Americans’ progress to the knockout stage.
The suspension had sparked widespread debate after Balogun was dismissed following a VAR review for an incident involving Bosnia and Herzegovina defender Tarik Muharemovic. Several observers, including members of the U.S. camp, argued that the punishment was excessively harsh.
With Balogun now available for selection, the United States will head into the highly anticipated Round of 16 encounter against Belgium with renewed confidence as they seek a place in the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time since 2002.
