Trump thanks FIFA for lifting Balogun's ban, calling it 'righting a great injustice'

US President Donald Trump published a message of thanks on the social media platform Truth Social after FIFA suspended the one-match ban given to American forward Folarin Balogun. Trump described the decision as righting a "great injustice" and praised FIFA for doing the right thing. Balogun had received a straight red card during the Son 32 round match where the USA defeated Bosnia 2-0, following a VAR review for stepping on a Bosnian defender's foot. According to FIFA rules, a straight red card automatically carries a one-match suspension, and this decision could not be appealed by clubs or national teams. However, with FIFA's surprise decision on Sunday, it was announced that this ban was suspended for a one-year probationary period and canceled without providing any justification.

Following this decision, the Belgian Football Association met FIFA's last-minute move with great astonishment and reaction. In their official statement, federation officials emphasized that they found the situation unacceptable, stating that FIFA directly contradicted its own tournament rules. Belgian officials stated that they would fight to protect the legitimate rights of all participating teams and defend the principles of fair play in sports, and that they were exploring all possible legal avenues. This news, coming ahead of the Son 16 round match to be played in Seattle, has become one of the biggest agenda items marking the tournament. The Belgian side, believing that the red card would have created a significant disadvantage for them, claims that this decision disrupts the competitive balance of the tournament.

The details behind this historic decision made by FIFA's disciplinary committee are quite interesting. Shortly before the decision was announced, it was revealed that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also called for the red card to be rescinded. US Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino argued that his player was only challenging for the ball and that the contact was not intentional, claiming the card was unfair from the start. It was reminded that Balogun is of critical importance to the USA's attacking power in this tournament and that he has scored three goals so far, two of which he scored against Paraguay in the opening match. The US Football Federation also released a message stating that they respect the disciplinary committee's decision and are fully focused on the crucial Belgium match in Seattle.

FIFA stated that it based this exceptional decision on Article 27 of its Disciplinary Code. According to the official statement, the application of Balogun's suspension was suspended for a one-year probationary period. If the player commits a new rule violation of a similar nature during this probationary period, his old suspension will immediately come into effect and be applied in conjunction with any new suspensions. It appears that there are some precedents in tournament history for FIFA to make such a decision. Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo also received a three-match suspension for elbowing against Ireland in these Dünya Kupası eleme maçları, but FIFA suspended two matches of the ban, allowing him to play in the 2026 Dünya Kupası.

Balogun's American teammates welcomed this development with enthusiasm, stating that they saw it as a great source of motivation for the match against BELÇİKA. Star player Christian Pulisic, in his remarks to reporters at the Seattle training, stated that this decision would give the team great strength and be a morale boost. Balogun, in his statement on Friday regarding the suspension, said he accepted the situation and was focused on supporting his team from the stands, but with this unexpected development, he seized a great opportunity to return to the pitch. The US Football Federation announced that they are looking forward to facing BELÇİKA in the Son 16 round with the support of the wonderful fans in Seattle. The host country's player returning to the pitches with such a controversial decision in the 2026 Dünya Kupası seems likely to remain a topic of discussion for a long time throughout the rest of the tournament.