FIFA Suspends Folarin Balogun’s One-Game Ban; Will Play Against Belgium

By Daniel Feuerstein | Seattle, WA | July 5th, 2026

At 12:57 PM Eastern – 9:57 AM Pacific, FIFA has announced that the one-game ban that Folarin Balogun had to serve due to a red card he was issued after VAR reviewed his challenge on Bosnian defender Tarik Muharemovic has been suspended due to a review under Article 27 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code when it comes to reviews for adding or removing a partial or full suspension from a red card. With this news coming out, Balogun will now be available to play in the Round of 16 match against Belgium this Monday night at Lumen Field in Seattle.

The question at hand was a challenge by Balogun on Muharemovic when both men were fighting for the ball and watching the ball. Balogun attempted to put his right boot down and balance himself while trying to earn the ball back, accidentally got his studs on the back of Muharemovic’s right leg, and went down, stepped on the ankle, and caused a foul to occur. No card was given, but VAR was looking at the situation and called in Referee Raphael Claus to the monitor. After the review, Claus had no choice but to announce to fans inside Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, that he would be issuing a red card after VAR review.

During that challenge, Balogun did not intentionally stab at Muharemovic’s right leg and ankle, as both men had their eyes on the ball. Many pundits across multiple shows have argued on ESPN, FOX, CBS Sports Golazo, and online conversations that the challenge was terrible, but the manner of the challenge wasn’t a red card, and MLS/Apple TV Analyst Taylor Twellman has also said that VAR used the wrong protocols to establish that review in his interview at Yahoo Sports. Now Balogun will be available for selection on Monday night against Belgium, and that makes U.S. Men’s National Team Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino a very happy man.

FIFA has suspended the one-match ban on Folarin Balogun, allowing him to be eligible for their Round of 16 Match against Belgium

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