Balogun Cleared to Play Against Belgium as FIFA Suspends Red Card Ban
Folarin Balogun, a key figure in the U.S. men’s soccer team, has been given the green light to participate in the upcoming World Cup Round of 16 match against Belgium on Monday. This decision follows FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee’s announcement over the weekend.
On Sunday, FIFA revealed that it has paused Balogun’s one-game suspension, which he incurred due to a red card during the U.S.’s victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina last Wednesday. During the match, Balogun was penalized for stepping on the ankle of Bosnia’s Tarik Muharemović.
“The implementation of the match suspension is suspended for a probationary period of one year,” FIFA stated in their announcement. “If Folarin Balogun commits another infringement of a similar nature and gravity during the probationary period, the suspension shall be revoked and the sanction enforced without prejudice to any additional sanction imposed for the new infringement.”
In response to FIFA’s decision, U.S. Soccer expressed its contentment: “We accept the decision of the Disciplinary Committee and are pleased that Folarin Balogun is eligible to compete tomorrow. Our full attention is focused on the Round of 16 match against Belgium in Seattle, and we look forward to the continued support of our amazing fans.”
Stay tuned for further updates on this developing story.
This article was originally written by www.npr.org
