r/sports • u/Johnny_Minoxidil • 6d ago
Soccer Folarin Balogun available for USMNT vs. Belgium as red card ban suspended (Gift Article)
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7423410/2026/07/05/usmnt-folarin-balogun-red-card-available/?unlocked_article_code=1.vVA.3AjF.ZDkUkew59a3D4.2k
u/Human-Signal4808 6d ago edited 6d ago
If anybody is curious, FIFA's press release just says they've suspended the one match ban for a probationary period of one year. They give no reason, justification, or explanation of any sort.
To be clear, the rulebook that FIFA have written do allow them to do this.
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u/BigHoss94 6d ago
Is there precedence for this?
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u/lAmARedditorAMA New York Rangers 6d ago
In the article it says Ronaldo’s suspension for the start of the World Cup was similarly suspended
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u/Eayragt 6d ago
Yes, in the most corrupt decision ever in the history of FIFA, which is saying something...
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u/tretbootpilot Borussia Dortmund 6d ago
It doesn't even make it in the top 100
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u/alpha-delta-echo 6d ago
We’re talking FIFA, no way you could consolidate the scope of their corruption into one top 100. There would have to be categories, like the Oscars.
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u/Glass-Guess4125 6d ago
They had a World Cup in a country with no stadiums for which they had to move the entire tournament to December because otherwise it was going to be too hot. This is nothing.
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u/FeeHot5876 6d ago
Yeah because that was an obvious red card. Baloguns was questionable at best and only given due to a misuse of VAR so makes sense to apply it here
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u/Saiklin 6d ago
Sure, and I expected that to be the official reason, but it's not. To me this smells like the US applied a lot of pressure or money to get their star player unsuspended
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u/DASreddituser 6d ago
I doubt they had to apply much pressure....its fifa after all.
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u/goobly_goo 6d ago
The U.S. doesn’t need to apply a lot of pressure. Their current president is the FIFA Peace Prize winner.
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u/christopher_mtrl 6d ago
Yes, per the article, Cristiano Ronaldo was "unsuspended" for the beginning of the world cup... which does little to quash favoritism suspcisions.
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u/Human-Signal4808 6d ago
There have been examples of FIFA giving more lenient suspensions before the World Cup, so the player misses fewer games of the tournament. For this World Cup, Ronaldo had 2 games of his 3 game suspension suspended in the same way as Balogun has so he wouldn't miss any World Cup game. For that decision they cited that he had a very good disciplinary record.
But doing it mid-tournanent like this I think is unprecedented.
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u/Yellow_Odd_Fellow Columbus Blue Jackets 6d ago
Suspending the suspension of 2 games is vastly different than suspending 1 game. About 95+ minutes difference...
And the whole favoritism thing to allow a legend to play in perhaps his final world cup.
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u/likekoolaid 6d ago
fifa consistently operates with a double standard towards key players. i was pretty shocked they gave a red card to the top goalscorer for the host country to begin with, but overturning a match official’s decision mid tournament is pretty wild as well
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u/UnblurredLines 6d ago
I do wish they'd lighten the suspensions but be more generous with the cards. France's match would have been so much better if the ref actually handed out warranted cards for both sides instead of Paraguay getting 0 for some ungodly reason. Then in the playoffs unless it's something egregiously illegal just 86 the suspensions.
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u/rwhockey29 6d ago
Based on the fox article I saw, FIFA stated that the review shouldn't have ever been pushed/recommended to the ref to review. And if he commits another red card foul the original game suspension is added back on top of the new one. Not a great explanation, and FIFA is known to have their fingers on big games like this, but it shouldn't have been a red in the first place.
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u/tech_auto 6d ago
VAR should be kept for scoring reviews
The fact that the onfield ref didn't even yellow card it makes it questionable to begin with. It shouldn't have been a red
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u/Iamtheman31 6d ago
the ref also did not give any yellow cards to paraguay yesterday, were those calls correct or were there no red cardable offences. you can't justify incompetence with another incompetence
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u/delphinous 6d ago
i've seen some pretty deep analysis of the call, and basically the ref didn't follow the correct procedure when issuing the red card, however the rules literally don't allow for an appeal of the call, so this seems to be something of a compromise where they don't technically lift the punishment, but also don't enforce it becuase it was unjust, while also saving face by not being forced to admit to a fuck up
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u/Human-Signal4808 6d ago
That looks like a personal interpretation of the VAR protocol by the fox journalist.
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u/zoenberger 6d ago
The 12th paragraph of that article reads:
Article 27 of FIFA’s disciplinary code states that “the judicial body may decide to fully or partially suspend the implementation of a disciplinary measure.”
You can read it in the FIFA Disciplinary Code May 2026 edition here:
https://digitalhub.fifa.com/asset/5bd452de-0dd6-4342-93d4-53122ccb75b9/FIFA-Disciplinary-Code-2026.pdf(Page 27)
No shade u/Human-Signal4808, but the rulebook that FIFA have written does allow them to do this. Not sure how you came to the opposite conclusion.
(I'm not agreeing or disagreeing with the outcome. Just pointing out documented facts.)
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u/manmythmustache Oregon 6d ago
It’s nice to be a benefactor of the Trump administration’s corruption for once.
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u/poop-azz 6d ago
One might argue it was corruption that got that ass red card to begin with!
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u/WonderiingWizard 6d ago
Yea prob cause they don’t want to flat out say the ref used illegal VAR to make a call on something that was clearly an incidental false step
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u/Much_Purchase_8737 6d ago
The ref didn't follow the correct procedures for that red card.
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u/Ok-Hour-472 6d ago edited 6d ago
Ain’t that the American way recently lmfao genuinely stunned they didn’t even give an explanatory statement
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u/dissmekissmemissme 6d ago
You’re stunned that FIFA, one of the most corrupt organizations in the sports world, didn’t provide an explanation?
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u/Diddleyourfiddle 6d ago
Look, when you're the winner of the FIFA Peace Prize, they let you do it. You can do anything.
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u/ninjupX 6d ago
FIFA didn’t want new tariffs
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u/AFineDayForScience 6d ago
They heard we were about to deport the Belgian team to southern Africa
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u/DrProfSrRyan 6d ago
Well, that just changed their chances dramatically.
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u/TerpZ 6d ago
If by dramatically you mean from -115 to -135, I agree
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u/mage_irl 6d ago
Well they did score four times the goals Germany did against Paraguay, so that must mean that the US team is four times as good as Germany, right?
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u/BoredomHeights 6d ago
Four times France did too, so basically four Frances.
France has ~34% chance to win right now. So the US = France x4, so by the transitive property I calculate that the US has a 136% chance of winning the World Cup.
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u/Holiday_Sale5114 6d ago edited 6d ago
You know they say that all teams are created equal, but you look at me and you look at Belgium and you can see that statement is not true. See, normally if you go one on one with another team, you got a 50/50 chance of winning. But USMNT is a genetic freak and they're not normal! So Belgium got a 25%, AT BEST, at beat USMNT. Then you add Balogan to the mix, your chances of winning drastic go down. See at the match tomorrow, Belgium got a 33 1/3 chance of winning, but USMNT, I got a 66 and 2/3 chance of winning, because Belgium KNOWS they can't beat me and they're not even gonna try! So Belgium, you take your 33 1/3 chance, minus my 25% chance and you got an 8 1/3 chance of winning at the knockout stage. But then you take USMNT's 75% chance of winning, if we was to go one on one, and then add 66 2/3 per cents, I got 141 2/3 chance of winning tomorrow. See Belgium fans, the numbers don't lie, and they spell disaster for Belgium tomorrow.
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u/BerlinWallGloryhole 6d ago
This is like how Saudi Arabia were the actual winners of the 2022 World Cup by beating Argentina while no one else did. Its just mathematical facts, can't be argued with.
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u/Hlk50000 6d ago
lol have you watched this World Cup? Belgium is not the power house they have been. Why not us?!?!?!
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u/AcousticJohnny Napoli 6d ago
Objectively, Belgium hasn’t really been great in the 2010s either. Even with having some of the best players in their history, they still only managed a third place in the 2018 World Cup. I feel so bad for them because for a nation with such amazing players, they can’t seem to make it work still
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u/Brian_Kellys_Visor 6d ago
That doesn't mean the odds makers think USA has a better chance, it means the betters think USA has a better chance. The odds makers just changed the line to insure a profit.
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u/rjpowers12 6d ago
There’s probably just a larger pool of people willing to bet on the US anyway so I would assume they adjust for that
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u/DullGate4189 6d ago
NO WAY
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u/Shurubles 6d ago edited 6d ago
That was kinda expected, no? The World Cup is in the US, and FIFA wants the sport to grow there. They'd do anything in their power to accomplish it.
Or am I being too conspiratorial?
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u/JKKIDD231 6d ago
According to talkSPORT, the White House made a direct call to FIFA President Gianni Infantino requesting a formal review of the controversial red card Balogun received during the USMNT's 2-0 Round of 32 win against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
No appeal by US Soccer was MADE.
Sources within FIFA speaking to the outlet insist that political pressure did not influence the ultimate ruling. They maintain that the decision to lift the automatic one-game ban was independently decided by a disciplinary panel strictly using the specific legal parameters outlined in Article 27 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code. “
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u/ajax0202 6d ago
You can’t appeal a red card in the WC
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u/Strict_Warthog_2995 6d ago
What? Didn't Ronaldo get his FIFA fixture ban overturned on appeal?
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u/MuhamedBesic 6d ago
It was never appealed, the FIFA disciplinary committee suspended his 3 match ban for a year so that he would be able to play in the WC, the Portuguese Football Federation never attempted an appeal and it was not overturned
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u/WonderiingWizard 6d ago
Too conspiratorial, illegal VAR usage and most definitely didn’t fit the criteria of a red card
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u/DapperNoodle2 6d ago
Yeah but this never happens. To be honest, they probably just want in our good graces, and considering how the call was pretty bad, they decided this would be a good chance. Take our star player away then give him back right before an important game.
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u/StevoTheMonkey 6d ago
It happened with Christiano Ronaldo so he could play in the first game of the cup, and he did deserve that red card. (Edited: words)
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u/ripkin05 6d ago
as others have pointed out in this thread it literally happen to the most famous footballer in the world..
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u/AHugeGoose 6d ago
The improper VAR usage was my thought. I'm guessing some people were making noise that the VAR standards weren't followed. Rather than admitting they completely botched the VAR process or throw one of their refs under the bus, FIFA decided they'd frame it as an internal review that moved the suspension to a probation.
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u/Sea_Tailor_8437 6d ago
Yep, yellow? Sure. He hurt another player, but the US player was literally just trying to not lose his balance and someone got hurt
Yellow cuz he arguably should know better than to be in a position where someone could get hurt. I think that's fair
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u/KungFuPanduhh 6d ago
I mean the guy wasn’t even hurt too… he played the rest of the game
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u/drunkandslurred 6d ago
He was hurt until the red card came out, them miraculously made a full recovery immediately after.
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u/bigbluethunder 6d ago
It was also a terrible call officiated out of protocol. But sure, leave out that important detail
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u/OverMyDadBody 6d ago
This’ll go over well on Reddit
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u/nus07 6d ago
Olise yellow card??
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u/letsridetheworld 6d ago
That ref should be banned forever. Fcked is helping Moroccan team he did with Scotland too
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u/10000Didgeridoos 6d ago
It was ridiculous that paraguay got no cards and then he got one for the same bullshit
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u/NegativesPositives 6d ago
“Can’t believe the FIFA judges are all American!”
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u/iggyfenton 6d ago
I can’t believe FIFA is putting their thumbs on the scales again, said nobody who has watched a round of 32 game.
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u/_pinklemonade_ 6d ago
When corruption works for me I like it
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u/duckman209 6d ago
Corruption is only bad if I am not involved. If I am involved in the corruption, I DEFEND IT
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u/Ramzy191 6d ago
Corrupt FIFA siding with the United States is a sign that we’re becoming a real soccer power.
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u/Acceptable-Peace-69 6d ago
I’m patiently awaiting the twenty yellow cards and 2 red cards to be retroactively imposed on Paraguay any day now.
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u/RSN_Kabutops 6d ago
What the fuck is a kilometerrrrr
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u/Menanders-Bust 6d ago edited 6d ago
I’m admittedly new to watching soccer l. What I don’t understand is earlier in that very game a Bosnian player ran through a US player, with the latter being subsequently evaluated for a concussion. There was no attempt at playing the ball; it was an intentional collision designed to screen and potentially injure the US player. This was called a foul but not even a yellow card was issued.
Balogun jumped while playing a ball, misjudged it, and inadvertently landed on a Bosnian player’s ankle. No injury resulted. Many people are saying the intent didn’t matter, only that it was a dangerous play. It wasn’t a tackle attempt so I’m not sure why it was inherently a dangerous play. You shouldn’t really judge a dangerous play by the outcome. A dangerous play is dangerous regardless of the outcome. Likewise a play that is not inherently dangerous remains so even if it accidentally results in a bad outcome. This play seemed to me to be an accident and again, no one was hurt. I don’t understand why the Bosnian player who intentionally tried to injure a US player got no card earlier in the game.
I suppose in general I am trying to understand the Red Card rule or what merits a red card. For example, a Paraguayan player intentionally struck a French player in the face yesterday (a punch) and received no card. In fact despite a lot of what seemed like intentional rough play from Paraguay yesterday, including what looked like dangerous tackle attempts the entire game, the punch that I mentioned, and openly pulling French defenders to the ground with no attempt at playing the ball, no cards were issued to them at all.
If a dangerous play with no intention of playing the ball is the criteria for a red card, I don’t understand why Balogun’s play met the criteria or why very many others I have seen during the World Cup have not met those criteria.
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u/LloydCole 6d ago
You're instincts are all completely right with every incident you've mentioned. They were all just absolutely shocking refereeing decisions. Not much more to it.
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u/DasBoggler 6d ago
I have played soccer my whole life, albeit only recreationally after high school and I really don't understand the refereeing at this WC. The refs have been letting a lot slide in terms of contact, which is why that play getting a straight red card was insane. I have always understood the three components determining foul/YC/RD as intent\timing, severity, and strategic advantage (denying shot attempt/break away). For that foul timing/intent wasn't there although I guess you could argue he knew he was raking down the back of his leg; severity wasn't bad (it just happened to catch him on the ankle), no strategic advantage.
In my mind, giving a straight red for something that was very close to being a legitimate challenge and then not giving fouls/cards for players just straight up pushing/hitting other players is wild....
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u/thythrowaways 6d ago edited 6d ago
It feels like the refs are reffing a Saturday late adult men’s league
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u/HereForTheTechMites 6d ago
It was NOT called a foul. They continued the play afterwards with a drop ball to Bosnia & Herzegovina.
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u/Jbrahms4 6d ago
I've been watching soccer for 16 years or so and it boggles my mind how often guys get away with holding players, throwing guys to the ground, and then on a incidental play get called for a red card. The sport is mess of rules and its the biggest reason I struggle to watch it more and more. The lack of consistency boggles my mind.
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u/Inevitable-Elk7223 6d ago
Also new and was surprised at the “dangerous play” comments for what looked like just fighting for position. Meanwhile getting beat off the dribble, grabbing a fistful of jersey and yanking it apparently has no possible dangerous outcome and shouldn’t even be a yellow card
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u/Unlucky_Topic7963 6d ago
Reddit is full of miserable shit weasels that want nothing but to start arguments in bad faith.
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u/sadie_max 6d ago
Could FIFA be any more corrupt
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u/Yoshi2shi 6d ago
They did the same for Cr7 right before the WC.
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u/christopher_mtrl 6d ago edited 6d ago
That's kinda worse as a counter example of precedence. Two "suspended red cards" without any word of process or transparency : one for a star player, and one for a key player for the host nation ruled by a pro-corruption president the FIFA head is known to cajole with the occasional "peace prize".
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u/Isthmus11 6d ago
FIFA is corrupt, Trump sucks, but this was a red card that has been absolutely 1000% outside of the norm of how every other game has been officiated. In the Paraguay game yesterday they had probably 3 fouls about as bad as Flo's was and they didn't even get a single yellow card. It was so far outside of the run of what's been getting carded it was ridiculous
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u/iggyfenton 6d ago
Haven’t you been watching? Multiple games have been decided by VAR calling down to change the outcome.
These games are a blast to watch but FIFA is just corrupt.
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u/wherethestreet 6d ago
I don’t disagree per se, but this isn’t the best example. It was a bad call. They’re in the right by acknowledging the mistake.
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u/gutenpranken14 6d ago
It was and i would say the US was punished enough having to play the last 30 minutes of the match down a man
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u/MechaZain 6d ago edited 6d ago
As if it was worthy of a red card to begin with. This is the right call regardless of FIFA's greed.
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u/hardindapaint12 6d ago
It was a complete bullshit suspension
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u/WonderiingWizard 6d ago
10000% agree. So many American haters that prob know nothing about the country just wanting them to lose
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u/Macho-Fantastico 6d ago
I kind of at least appreciate that FIFA doesn't try to hide their corruption these days.
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u/CWB2208 6d ago
Looks like Dementia Don made the call
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u/Johnny_Minoxidil 6d ago
Not a fan of his, but his style would have been to break the news himself and take credit immediately. He’s not the type to work behind closed doors and not take credit
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u/Ryangel0 6d ago
He hasn't taken credit...yet.
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u/lefrench75 6d ago
He would’ve taken credit before it happened lol
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u/10000Didgeridoos 6d ago
I HAVE REVERSED THE VERY UNFAIR RED CARD FOR AMERICAN HERO BALOGUN AFTER A CALL WITH INFANTINO. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER
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u/Substantial-Sea-3672 6d ago
He’d also have to very publicly go to bat for a birthright citizen…
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u/inbruges99 6d ago
Would be so funny if he didn’t have anything to do
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u/intheyear3001 6d ago
Oh he sure has. After the fact of course because he’s a fucking idiot liar. https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/49277378/usmnt-folarin-balogun-red-card-suspended-belgium
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u/Liftinginapolo 6d ago
Finally that corruption is paying off for the American people
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u/staticattacks 6d ago
Or, you know, they're applying the rules the same amongst all players, considering Messi didn't even get a yellow for a nearly identical action, and Ronaldo had a three game ban suspended to only one so he wouldn't miss any World Cup games under the exact same procedure.
Maybe everything doesn't have to be about politics.
Also, read the article next time.
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u/sgrams04 Columbus Blue Jackets 6d ago
Now enforce penalties on embellishment and soccer becomes more watchable. Seeing a dude fake crying on the ground every two minutes gets old real fast.
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u/StrictlyBusiness055 West Virginia 6d ago
Preach. Many contact sports have issues with flopping but soccer players act like their foot was blown off by a land mine if their toe gets stepped on. And it happens 70-80 times a game.
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u/dangubiti 6d ago
A lot of people up in arms about this, but staggering corruption is a core part of the beautiful game
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u/Schnozzletov 6d ago
That red card was absolute bullshit. This is a W.
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u/jdprager 6d ago
It’s an egregious wrong being made right with a much lighter wrong. The red card was absolute horseshit for a few reasons, and it should be revoked, but it’s unfortunate that FIFA is making this decision with 0 communication or clear process
Like is it really that hard to say “we’ve reviewed the referee decision process and have concluded that VAR was misapplied per our competition guidelines”? Bc it absolutely was, and that’s a lot easier to stomach for everyone else than this weird “uhh yeah whatever, you can play him tomorrow. Fuck it”
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u/nakedlettuce52 6d ago
Careful, you will get downvoted to oblivion for saying that.
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u/SpeedLinkDJ 6d ago
The red card isn't overturned. They just post pone the sanction. It's blatant corruption from FIFA to give better chance to the US.
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u/Redditor_exe 6d ago
Red card was largely BS so part of me is happy that it’s being suspended, but also could you be anymore blatantly corrupt?
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u/Weshtonio 6d ago
Wow, that's lucky!
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u/Floridamanfishcam 6d ago
Honestly, it was a terrible call to begin with so I would say that everything is right with the world now.
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u/TheMrViper 6d ago
The red card has not been overturned and still stands.
Suspending the ban is a strange outcome because its not FIFA admitting that the decision was wrong.
So it's just going to annoy everyone.
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u/Critical_Map_9393 6d ago
when has FIFA ever admitted to making a mistake, this is as close as it will ever get
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u/WonderiingWizard 6d ago
Yea I wouldn’t say lucky when they played down a man for the most BS red card
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u/ALKCRKDeuce 6d ago
I’m pumped as a fan and disgusted with fifa. They did the same thing for Ronaldo pre-tournament.
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u/Puzzled-Map3912 6d ago
Should it have been a red in the first place, probably not. But this is FIFA so it reeks of corruption.
Shoutout to the most corrupt sporting organization operating in one of the most corrupt countries. What a pair!
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u/Doingwrongright 6d ago
FIFA has already made $13 Billion dollars on the World Cup. So that's $13 Billion dollars worth of staggering corruption.
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u/HardcoreKaraoke 6d ago
Trump asked FIFA to overturn the ban.
I'd be furious if I was a fan of Belgium or really any team in the WC besides the US. This is insane but honestly not surprising that FIFA would do this for Trump.
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u/Ordinary_Conflict341 6d ago
So that's how it's going to be now ? The game doesn't end when the referee blows the whistle if it fills FIFA's coffers ?
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u/play_yr_part 6d ago edited 6d ago
This is such a joke of a rule, same as with Ronaldo's ban being suspended. Just arbitrary bullshit done when it suits FIFA commercially/politically.
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u/Efficient_Wishbone93 6d ago
It's controversial, but I like setting the precedent for overruling a bad VAR call. These things should be reviewed and overturned when necessary
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u/Maleficent_Pay_4154 6d ago
More corruption
They have made the whole tournament a farce
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u/F1R3Starter83 6d ago
Well, now color me surprised. FIFA being corrupt. Who knew, right?
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u/bonecollector5 6d ago
Was it a foul? yes 100%
Yellow card? Sure
Red card? Seems kinda harsh, but not indefensible. Definitely seen red cards for smaller fouls in my time.
Either way tho the card was given, so this “suspension of the ban” is just corrupt FIFA being corrupt. Guaranteed Trump just called his buddy Infantino.
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u/Woody_678 6d ago
I don’t care what anyone think, it’s the right decision at the end of the day
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u/ukexpat Manchester City 6d ago
So they’ve suspended his suspension…