Balogun’s Suspension Lifted Before Critical Match

The U.S. Men’s National Team, along with Folarin Balogun, can express their gratitude toward Article 27 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, which played a key role in allowing Balogun to participate in the Round of 16 match against Belgium on Monday.

Balogun had been handed a red card during the round of 32 and faced a one-match suspension with no option for appeal. However, just 30 hours prior to the crucial match that might see them advance to the World Cup quarter-finals, his suspension was revoked on Sunday.

Article 27 states that “the judicial body may decide to suspend all or part of the disciplinary action.”

FIFA clarified that Balogun’s suspension was set for a year. Should he engage in similar behavior during this time, “the suspension will be revoked by a judicial body and the sanction will be enforced without prejudice to any additional sanctions that may be imposed for new violations.”

This means Balogun must be particularly cautious. The fact that he and the U.S. team were given a second chance doesn’t guarantee another reprieve in the future.

During the earlier match against Bosnia and Herzegovina, Balogun had scored to give his team a 1-0 lead. However, while contesting the ball with Tarik Muharemovic, his foot inadvertently clipped Muharemovic’s ankle, resulting in the contentious red card that sparked significant debate. Many have pointed out that the play appeared unintentional, drawing comparisons to a situation involving Argentina’s Lionel Messi, who escaped a similar punishment.

“I’m not sure when Balo got the news,” defender Chris Richards mentioned. “If he learned about it before we did, he kept it to himself. A lot of us assumed it was just a rumor at first, you know? We were seeing chatter online and just didn’t know what was accurate.”

Still, the ruling from Article 27 has rejuvenated the U.S. team’s hopes in the World Cup, reflecting what could be an impactful moment in the history of U.S. soccer if they go on to claim victory.