President Donald Trump on Sunday thanked football’s world governing body FIFA for suspending the red card issued to USA’s Folarin Balogun, paving the way for the striker to play in a last-16 World Cup showdown against Belgium.
Balogun was set to miss the match on Monday after being shown a straight red card in the last-32 game against Bosnia-Herzegovina for stepping on the foot of defender Tarik Muharemovic as the co-hosts won 2-0.
FIFA said Sunday the ban will be suspended for a year.
“Thank you to FIFA for doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
Balogun has been key to the USA’s progress in the tournament and his absence against Belgium would have been a blow to the team.
FIFA said in a statement: “In line with article 27 of the FIFA disciplinary code, the implementation of the match suspension is suspended for a probationary period of one year.”
After the red card, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had called for the card to be rescinded.
Saheed is a journalist at Punch Newspapers with over two years of experience covering metro, technology, sports, politics, and human-interest stories. He focuses on producing clear, engaging reports across diverse beats. Saheed’s work reflects hands-on newsroom experience and a commitment to accurate and balanced journalism.
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