After the U.S. president personally called FIFA President Gianni Infantino and asked him to reconsider the red card decision, the organization reversed its decision, and the American soccer player will be able to play in the Round of 16 match against Belgium on July 6.
Balagun, who is the U.S. national team’s leading scorer at the World Cup with three goals, received a red card a few days ago in the Round of 16 match against Bosnia and Herzegovina (2–0). That red card resulted in a one-match suspension.
However, on July 5, FIFA announced that it was lifting the American player’s suspension for the Round of 16 match.
According to the Associated Press, this is the first time since 1962 that a red card received at the World Cup has not resulted in a suspension.
This unusual decision was highly praised by the U.S. president, who wrote on his social media page: “Thank you to FIFA for making the right decision and righting this great injustice.”
However, the Belgian national team was dissatisfied. Specifically, the Belgian Football Association stated that it was “stunned” by this decision.
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