Despite being sent off against Bosnia and Herzegovina, the US striker has been cleared to play in Monday’s last-16 tie against Belgium
10:50, 06 Jul 2026Updated 11:10, 06 Jul 2026
Folarin Balogun is at the centre of World Cup controversy
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Folarin Balogun is at the centre of World Cup controversy
UEFA have furiously slammed FIFA for 'crossing a red line' after controversially suspending United States striker Folarin Balogun’s red card for one year - allowing him to play in Monday’s World Cup last-16 tie against Belgium
The former Arsenal forward, who has scored three goals at the World Cup, was dismissed for his challenge on Tarik Muharemovic during the second half of their 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina, but his single-match ban has now been suspended for a probationary period of one year.
According to FIFA’s disciplinary code, should the 25-year-old commit “another infringement of a similar nature and gravity during the probationary period, the suspension shall be revoked and the sanction enforced without prejudice to any additional sanction imposed for the new infringement”.
Belgium head coach Rudi Garcia likened the ruling to “April Fool’s Day” and insisted his federation was “defending football”, while US head coach Mauricio Pochettino defended the development, which emerged as his side prepared for the Seattle clash, taking place on Monday night local time.
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UEFA have now furiously slammed the decision and released a statement saying: "Yesterday’s decision to suspend for a probationary period of a year the implementation of the one-match automatic suspension following the red card issued to the player Folarin Balogun crossed a red line.
"Football, like any other sports, relies on rules, which are the basis for fair, honest and transparent competition. Sometimes rules are open to interpretation. In this case not. A minimum automatic suspension of one match following a red card is not a discretionary option and does not require the decision of a competent body to be enacted. It is a principle embedded in regulations, which cannot be made subject to exceptions, let alone in the middle of a tournament where several other players have been in the same situation and regularly served their suspension.
"When the certainty of rules is no longer guaranteed by its guardians, the integrity of the game is at stake and the credibility of a competition is undermined. Equally, such decision creates a precedent in the ongoing tournament, where similar situations will now require an equal treatment, to the detriment of the competition.
"Football is the most loved sport in the world because it is a beautiful game and is trusted because it is played everywhere with the same laws. A tournament is never a pure standalone and, if the tournament in question is the World Cup, it has the power to drive positive or negative consequences on the game as a whole.
"We express our disbelief at such an unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable decision."
Thomas Tuchel, meanwhile, called for consistency following FIFA’s “strange” decision to effectively overturn Balogun’s red card on a day when the England boss was annoyed by some decision-making in Mexico.
US President Donald Trump thanked FIFA for “reversing a great injustice” that has opened an almighty can of worms on a day that ended with England securing a 3-2 win against Mexico despite the VAR’s involvement in two big second half moments.
Jarell Quansah’s sending off and a Mexico penalty resulted from those interventions, with head coach Tuchel saying: “In the game this was not even given a foul, so the referee obviously also thought that it’s a hard tackle but it was OK for him to let it play,
“VAR came, made a decision and then, like always, I just saw the still on the screen. You cannot take decisions on a still in a football match. It’s just not possible. And they did it, of course, against us, so Jarell is very upset, of course.
“It is disappointing and the setback today because we were good in the match. For me, not enough for VAR to overturn the decision, like the penalty. But OK, it is what it is.”
Put to Tuchel that there might be hope Quansah can play in the quarter-final against Norway given Balogun was cleared, Tuchel said: “Where does this start and where does this end now?
“Can we overturn it or not overturn it? What’s going on? Where to draw the line is the question that I ask. I have no answer to that. Where does this end now?
“Do we appeal if a yellow card is not a yellow card? Do we think it is not a red card or who thinks it? Where does this start and where does this end? It’s my question. I don’t have an answer.”
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