FIFA Suspends Balogun's 1-Match Ban, Clearing USMNT Striker for Belgium

Q: How did a little-known FIFA rule save America's top scorer from suspension?

A little-known provision in FIFA’s Disciplinary Code — Article 27 — spared Folarin Balogun from serving the usual automatic one-match ban. Balogun was sent off against Bosnia-Herzegovina for serious foul play after VAR reviewed his challenge on Tarik Muharević. Under normal FIFA rules, a straight red card triggers an automatic suspension for the next match, which would have ruled him out against Belgium. The red card itself was not overturned; referee decisions on incidents of play are generally final. What changed was FIFA’s disciplinary review after the match. Article 27 allows FIFA’s judicial body to suspend a sanction and place it on probation rather than enforce it immediately. That is what happened here: Balogun’s one-game ban was deferred for one year, meaning he can play against Belgium. If he commits a similar offense during that probationary period, the suspended ban can be activated in addition to any new punishment. The rule is unusual because it does not erase the red card or declare the referee wrong. It simply gives FIFA a mechanism to hold the punishment in reserve. That distinction mattered in Balogun’s case, especially after widespread criticism of the dismissal from figures including Mauricio Pochettino, Mark Clattenburg and Thierry Henry, who argued the challenge was accidental and did not merit a red card. So Balogun was saved not by an appeal, but by FIFA’s power under Article 27 to suspend the sanction itself.

Q: Will FIFA's reprieve for Balogun now change how referees approach red card decisions?

Probably not in any immediate or direct way. FIFA did not overturn the referee’s decision on the field. Balogun’s red card still stands as a match fact, and under FIFA rules those decisions are generally final, especially after a VAR review. What FIFA changed was the punishment: using Article 27 of the Disciplinary Code, its disciplinary body suspended the automatic one-match ban for a one-year probationary period. That distinction matters. Referees are instructed to apply the Laws of the Game in real time, not to anticipate whether FIFA’s disciplinary panel might later soften a sanction. So this case is more likely to affect post-match disciplinary review than on-field red-card thresholds. What it may do is intensify scrutiny of how referees and VAR handle serious-foul-play incidents. Balogun’s challenge drew criticism from figures including Mark Clattenburg, Thierry Henry and Mauricio Pochettino, who argued the contact was accidental and that slow-motion replay may have exaggerated the severity. That could add pressure on officials to be more careful about using VAR, especially in judging force, intent and whether replay angles distort the action. But there is little evidence that one suspended ban will make referees materially less willing to show red cards. The stronger takeaway is that FIFA has signaled some flexibility after the fact in borderline cases, while leaving the authority of referees during matches intact.

3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jul 5

Folarin Balogun can face Belgium on Monday after FIFA suspended the automatic one-match ban tied to his straight red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Article 27 of FIFA's disciplinary code lets its judicial body suspend a sanction; Balogun's ban now sits under a one-year probation period and would be enforced if he commits a similar offense again.
The 25-year-old was sent off after VAR review for serious foul play on Tarik Muharemovic, a decision Mauricio Pochettino and Christian Pulisic publicly called harsh.
Balogun has started all but one U.S. game, scored twice against Paraguay and once against Bosnia, and has produced at least one goal contribution in every World Cup match he has played.