USMNT React to FIFA's Folarin Balogun Decision

United States players admitted they initially believed FIFA's dramatic decision to overturn Folarin Balogun's World Cup suspension was fake after learning the news while traveling to training ahead of their Round of 16 showdown against Belgium.

The U.S. squad was on its team bus in Seattle on Sunday morning when reports began circulating on social media that Balogun had been cleared to play despite receiving a red card in the Round of 32 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina.

"A lot of us thought it was AI at first," defender Chris Richards said. "We weren't sure if it was true or not."

FIFA's disciplinary committee later confirmed that it had rescinded Balogun's automatic one-match suspension, replacing it with a one-year probation period. Under the ruling, any similar offense committed during that time would trigger a suspension.

The decision marked only the second known instance of FIFA overturning a World Cup red-card suspension, with the first dating back to Brazil legend Garrincha before the 1962 World Cup final.

A source familiar with the matter said the U.S. Soccer Federation had been involved in discussions with FIFA's disciplinary committee before the decision was announced. The federation later welcomed the ruling, saying it was pleased Balogun had been declared eligible to face Belgium.

The unprecedented move sparked immediate backlash from Belgium, with head coach Rudi Garcia sarcastically comparing July 5 to April Fools' Day.

"I didn't know that at the World Cup the 5th of July is actually the 1st of April," Garcia said, arguing that FIFA's ruling contradicted its own disciplinary regulations.

The Royal Belgian Football Association also released a statement expressing its "astonishment" at the decision, insisting FIFA had ignored rules requiring players sent off during the tournament to automatically serve a one-match suspension. The federation said it was examining all available legal options to defend the principles of fair play.

Balogun did not comment publicly, while U.S. head coach Mauricio Pochettino was expected to address the controversy during his pre-match press conference.

American captain Christian Pulisic defended the outcome, saying, "There was much worse that went on in this tournament. It just feels right."

FIFA has rarely intervened in red-card suspensions during major tournaments, although it reduced Cristiano Ronaldo's three-match suspension from a World Cup qualifier to one match before the 2026 tournament, placing the Portugal captain on the same one-year probation applied to Balogun.