In the coming last-16 clash with Belgium on Monday, World Cup legacies were thrown around as striker Folarin Balogun was sent off with a red card with a one match suspension but then was reinserted into the World Cup campaign.
The decision follows US President Donald Trump’s personal request to FIFA President Gianni Infantino to look into the incident.
Following a video review Balogun was sent off after planting his boot into the ankle of Tarik Muharemovic in the 2-0 United States win over Bosnia and Herzegovina.
But US head coach Mauricio Pochettino argued that it was not foul worthy enough for a red card and one match suspension.
FIFA did not suspend Balogun’s red card, instead stating that his suspension would be converted into a year’s probation.
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This means that he will be able to play against Belgium, but if he repeats a similar serious offense in the next year, his suspension will automatically be in effect.
Trump took the time on social media to celebrate FIFA’s announcement as the “correction of a great injustice.”
US players reported that they had been made aware of the ruling during their trip to training, with Pulisic, who is the captain of the US football, calling it “great news.
The decision almost instantly drew a lot of criticism from the football community.
The Belgian football association expressed “astonishment” at how the decision was reached, and said there was “no explanation” for the decision, as the World Cup regulations clearly specify that a player who was sent off in one game due to red card must sit out of the next.
The federation is currently reviewing its legal options.
Meanwhile, English coach Thomas Tuchel has said that Balogun’s foul was not worth a red card, but wondered why FIFA changed its penalty after it had been decided.
Political interference in FIFA’s decision has been one of the major talking points of the incident, with many wondering whether the decision was made based on that.
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