Folarin Balogun available for USMNT vs Belgium after ban suspended
folarin balogun steps onto the pitch. he's got a new celebration– six-shooter finger guns! wait, those are real revolvers! he guns down the entire belgian side in the first minute & trump lands marine one at midfield to present him with an official pardon and the medal of honor. he is then deported
Joe28The world cup can't continue after that horror and giving it to a team would look biased. Infantino holds a ceremony presenting Trump with the trophy and he becomes the first individual to "win" the world cup.
Matthew Gyamtso11The Belgian officials lodge a complaint. FIFA, in a perhaps ill-judged attempt to smooth the waters, ask if the officials would like to present this year's FIFA Peace Prize. Belgium declare war on FIFA. The gnomes of Zurich, concerned about maintaining an air of neutrality, try to bribe everyone.
Friendly Gamer4Man, this one was a rollercoaster.
ceramicscientist.bsky.social4Feels unfair to Balogun, who has responded professionally to the entire incident.
Julian Swearengin3I could see it. Final score?
Compuserve Administrator3Finally, soccer has become America's sport
Folarin Balogun a USA player has had his red card overturned with absolutely no explanation from FIFA A red card cannot normally be overturned but we are talking about a US player & the President of FIFA is close to Trump. Trump has thanked FIFA I hope the USA lose. Come on Belgium! 🇧🇪
Kev Woods13Not just a whiff of corruption.. a whole stinking pile of it.
Lord JG9FIFA and Trump’s America - corruption central. The world needs to be without both of these criminal gangs.
Tiddles The Cat8What is hilarious, Americans who have been screaming about Trump's corruption are suddenly happy when the corruption favours them. bsky.app/profile/jaco...
TheDogFromHell7Go Belgium! Sincerely every real American.
How can any decent citizen of the US experience any pleasure or satisfaction if the US team wins this game? The rules are the rules for god's sake. Trump (and Infantino) ruin everything.
lindarn.bsky.social4Me too. I’m rooting for anyone else and I don’t even like or watch soccer
Notivan2Wie had dat nu verwacht 😱
The Royal Belgian Football Federation has published a - very strongly worded and argumented - statement after Fifa's decision to suspend Falorin Balogun's automatic ban for one year, making him eligible for the USMNT's R16 match v. Belgium. Merci à @samindrakunti.bsky.social!
Tombo20A lot of legalese there, but I think boils down to the game has rules and either they apply to everyone or they don’t
Monktonblue19I stand with Belgium! I hope they absolutely thump them!
Mark Valentine16The Belgian FA should not be left to fight this alone. It’s long past time for the English FA and others to make a stand.
Mike Carrington14As soon as the ridiculous C.Ronaldo suspension of his ban happened, some awful nonsense like this was inevitable. Makes me almost miss old corruption Sepp
Alan Hughes11Yes but of course Infantino will ignore it. His job is to please Trump not to run a fair and proper football competition.
birdynm.bsky.social9They should refuse to take the pitch
AF12One time I was in Brussels and an enormous deaf crust punk with a third eye tattoo on his forehead followed me into the public bathroom in Central Station because I refused to pay him to use it. No investigation there!
John Greechan9Fully expect half a dozen Belgian officials to be deported in response …
foolsrushin.bsky.social5FIFA have completely undermined the credibility & integrity of the whole sporting side of the tournament with this. I assume they are saying the red was incorrectly awarded? Well there are lots of things that could be looked at and lots of players suspended in tournaments. Everything under suspicion
Holly Baleen5It’s wildly corrupt, on behalf of the US Govt and FIFA, that’s what it is
rjb719.bsky.social4Really hope there’s a legal option they can take in the tight time frame. 🤞🏻
Malcolm LibDem🔶🏴🇬🇧🇪🇺🇺🇦4Absolutely astonishing decision by FIFA!
🏳️🌈 Dolly Darren 🏳️⚧️3The RBFA not holding back... #FIFACorruption
Rob Parritt3Yeah man, Belgium has every right to be ripshit
Avert Your Eyes, Pamela Ganache!2Belgium rightly objecting to FIFA corruption.
Patrick Andrews2The corruption of FIFA is unnecessary. Football is the world game and doesn’t need to pander to dictators
In other news, the United States has dropped its mortgage fraud investigation of FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
northern-sky.bsky.social9If Folarun Balogun, or his coach, have an ounce of integrity, he will sit out the game. Right or wrong, a call was made on the field of play. Many athletes have accepted questionable calls and lived to play another day. I knew FIFA was morally suspect but this is a step too far.
Stephen O’Connor 🇨🇦 🇬🇧 🇪🇺 (he/him)5The corruption is really, really deep.
blueandy2525.bsky.social4Hopefully, Belgium will destroy Team America, and this corruption will not be rewarded.
Shoveller4And don't forget that all-important FIFA peace prize. 🤣🤣
WhiteUnderbabiedAmericanCat3Oh. Good. I guess trump gets to keep the World Cup championship trophy, too.
tvguy9605.bsky.social3It was a bs penalty
The Royal Belgian Football Association have released a statement following FIFA's decision to allow the USA's Folarin Balogun to play on Monday despite picking up a red car in his team's Round of 32 match against Bosnia and Herzegovina. #FIFAWorldCup
gump-report.bsky.social46Belgium is 100% correct. Reinstating Balogun is the wrong thing to do & only helps make the narrative that FIFA is extremely corrupt & can be bought for the right price!
PunkRodgers34I think the rest of the world has suddenly become fans of Belgium for this one
Alan L.25Funny how the Americans who would usually complain about the corruption from their president are suddenly quiet now it benefits them.
dorfman313.bsky.social9If FIFA is willing to break their own irrefutable laws, then, what else are they willing to do?
Matt 🇨🇦9They better be keeping a close eye on every single decision made in the match itself as well. Usually match fixing is done at the behest of gamblers, in this case it could be at the direction of FIFA itself to help their American buddy. 🙄🤬
stupidshouldhurt.bsky.social6The FIFA/USA corruption and collusion is unapologetically on full display. It was preordained that the US will win the cup but the level of cheating on their behalf is embarrassing. A new world football association should be established that excludes current FIFA officials and the US.
Brent Toderian128Blatant corruption from Trump and FIFA, as usual. Perfect bedfellows. #WorldCup
Sophie Lawson14Mighty moralistic words from a team that willingly calls itself the red DEVILS. RBFA pissed and rightly so but they know, as well as we all do, that it doesn't matter what the rules actually say, FIFA will bend its way around them as they wish.
Reid Adair8Article 66.4 of the FIFA Discliplinary Code and Article 10.5 of the 2026 World Cup Competition Regulations indicate it wasn't a call that could be made: bsky.app/profile/tsno...
Steven Schapansky 🇨🇦6It took a while before American and FIFA corruption tainted the World Cup but we got there in the end.
Reid Adair4Article 66.4 of the Disciplinary Code and Article 10.5 of the 2026 World Cup Competition Guidelines don't allow them to "react" this way. bsky.app/profile/tsno...
PalpableConcern3Worthy of a read: bsky.app/profile/tsno...
🇨🇦 Christine 🇨🇦3Just disgraceful. I only half joking said to himself at the start of the tourney that I wouldn’t be surprised to see that orange bastard grease palms all the way to a US win.
Paula. 🇳🇬☘️3Não vai mudar nada mas o circo tá armado
Briana3From what I've read, Balogun shouldnt have gotten the red card in the first place. So why should he be suspended for something he shouldnt have gotten? Granted, how they came to that conclusion is corrupt af. But the outcome is what should have happened anyway, right? Explain it to me, soccer fans.
Justin Striebel2The notion that Belgium is fighting this to protect the integrity of competition or some such thing is such BS. They’re just mad they don’t enter the game with the US disadvantaged.
As huge and unpopular a call as it would be, the USA should leave Folarin Balogun on the bench for the entire Belgium game to avoid being tainted by any sort of association with Trump and Fifa's chicanery and machiavellianism.
Kim McCauley26Given that they’re the ones who actively lobbied for his suspension to be overturned this would be a rather strange change of heart
T and Sympathy8I'm American and I am sure that wont happen. Please know not all of us think this is ok. In fact, I am disgusted at FIFA though I know better given who Gianni is.
kellenmarcil.bsky.social6It wouldn't be huge and unpopular it would be stupid as hell.
Warren5Yeah, that's not going to happen.
Blooms4As if... they won't give a shit.
David R3Doing the "right" thing won't satisfy anyone. What an absolute mess. I knew things had been going too smoothly and was just waiting for Trump and Gianni to much it up somehow.
Sasho Todorov27Now this right here is some true blueskyism.
Thierry Ennui25Co-sign. Former PSG and, uh….Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino must do the right thing and put the good of the sport first
Kyle Whittingham Support Account10Hmm no how about he plays and scores five goals instead
Ryan Emmons8lmao be fuckin for real right now
Davy Crockett7Also, Belgium should secretly have the entire Senegalese team play the game in Belgian shirts for the same reason.
CATBOY HUSBAND @ GANYMEDE LEARNED TO SING 'COUNTRY ROADS'7Lol. Lmao. Haters can die mad.
I Hate My Favourite Teams6Team USA hater and a Trump hater, but this is still one of the worst ideas I've ever heard
joey (kwyjibo)6"we're going to purposefully make our team less good to prove a point" - something that has never happened in sports
Jay Rigdon5This shouldn't have even been a red card to begin with, the US already faced unjust punishment playing 30+ mins with 10 players in a knockout game, and I cannot express how much this kind of bullshit chicanery happens at every World Cup.
Michael Shopoff5The US should also play a man down for each yellow card, and administer self-flagellation for each foul
Norway coach Solbakken on the Folarin Balogun non-suspension: "I think that's a big mistake by FIFA. Bad, bad, bad, bad, bad decision. I feel sorry for the United States, because even if they win, the game will always have this bad thing about it. Not good for the sport. Bad decision by FIFA."
saganleft2soon.bsky.social8Solbakken is exactly right. FIFA has bent the knee to Trump, and will leave a stain on any USA success. Maybe we should have seen this coming after Infant-tino awarded his made up Peace prize to fellow Infant Trump.
TRuxMintinBox5Just keeps getting grimier the more you hear. Sit Balogun. Fuck this. What a horrible precedent to set going forward.
John Doyle1Agree but I'd add 27 more "bads"
President Trump called Gianni Infantino, the president of FIFA, on Wednesday and asked him to review the suspension of the United States’ top goal scorer, Folarin Balogun, after he was given a red card in the team’s match that night against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Shipwreck57On Sunday, FIFA announced that Mr. Balogun would be eligible to play Monday against Belgium after his red card ban was suspended.-NYT
Rlynner4USMNT coach/management should decline the removal. JFC, what else could possibly make the US team look like scum.
dutchmind.bsky.social3Ah so right! Now it's clear, this is how things work in trumpland. Great
Muhaha 🇺🇦🇪🇺3Well it is another way of making ppl to dislike you even more…
Paddy_boy2He’s desperate to improve his job performance ratings.
HawaiiDelilah™ 🌊 🇺🇸🇨🇦🇺🇦🇬🇧33Trump takes FIFA corruption to new depths.
Lena7me, yesterday: yeah, nah, i dont really care about sports at all to be honest me, today: should we...should we nuke washington?!
mushroom malady7dyt Trump calls him Johnny Baby
nobody5lol but yeah the USMNT is separate from US politics
Can confirm that Balogun suspension has been lifted by FIFA and he is eligible to play against Belgium on Monday. #usmnt
Matt Ford6The red was not egregious. Once it hit VAR, it almost has to be red. If this ruling said: VAR was misapplied therefore we are rescinding the suspension I'd feel better. But awarding red after those videos was well within Laws of the Game. This screams of standard FIFA corruption/backroom dealing.
LibArchives18634As an American, I do not like this.
Sarcasmo2As an American fan, I like this (i thought it was a harsh red), but it also smells of corruption. In the latter sense, it doesn’t really do the game any favors.
Uncle Mak’s Farm ⭕️1Hell yeah! Let’s go. Also, that’s some corrupt s..t from FIFA.
isogsargent.bsky.social1It was a bullshit call anyway
Jabulani1So conflicted: As a fan that thought it was a bogus call, I'm elated. That it reeks of cronyism and corruption, I'm disgusted.
What’s a guy to do when he’s suddenly eligible for tomorrow’s World Cup game? Begin in the center of the rondo.
GwedLid1He should probably refuse to play to uphold the integrity of The Beautiful Game.
Dawn1He’s doomed to be vilified
Murshed Zaheed1UW's facilities have always been beautiful. Great shot Jeff. Thank you for sharing.
John Hollinger20just here for the Mount Rainier view
Murshed Zaheed6#USMNT practicing in "Big Ten Country" with a view of Mount Rainier (at the home of the defending NCAA champions)
Robert Cruickshank4The mountain is out and Balogun is in
Carl Powers2Pretty cool to see the USMNT practicing on the field of the current NCAA Champion Soccer team
deleted earlier repost: Trump did post about the decision but not clear that he confirmed contacting FIFA beforehand, at least based on USA Today's reporting, unless I'm missing something www.usatoday.com/story/sports...
Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò59NYT now reporting it: www.nytimes.com/2026/07/05/u...
I'm not sure he really needed to contact FIFA, given how eager Infantino was to please him…
Alfonso4did he just curse the USMNT
KB3He’s likely now to *claim* he did, only because everything always has to be about him.
Neelofer Qadir2There seems to be just one source being cited as the source that Trump contacted Infantino / FIFA. But whether he actually did or didn’t matters less, imo, than the fact that Infantino already panders to him (see FIFA Peace Prize).
Mathieu Carpentier2I was ready to support the US against Belgium because there’s nothing I enjoy more than drinking Belgian tears in the morning. F*ck it. Allez les Diables Rouges.
Tom Choad2To be clear: this was probably the worst card in the tournament, it was unfair. The cleat was accidental so the red card was wrong. And Balogun is our best striker. I'm glad for it. Belgium will be hard to beat so we'll take it.
Roger Giner-Sorolla2Object lesson in the tendency to like and repost an unsourced story that you would very much like to be true
i really struggle to imagine how anyone would look at the foul folarin balogun committed against BIH and say “i think this should be a 1 game suspension” without the artificial and arbitrary framework that if you eject a player from a match he has to sit the next one out too
victoria zeller⚔️ (RISEBALL, summer ‘27)48surely there should be some level of punishment between yellow card and That
Adam Lichtenstein4I get annoyed with the “American watches soccer for two weeks and has Takes” genre but mine is: A red card should be an ejection and then sent to a review panel to decide if further punishment is warranted, at least for the World Cup.
Sara Byrella2Playing the rest of the match down a man was more than enough punishment enough for the crime of being surprised when a guy barged in to steal the ball from him, cosmically speaking. Having the worst process ever reach what would have been a justifiable outcome... that's FIFA baby
CDRE Fool Mental Jackass VI2I mean if there was no call on the field it seems sus to say that something you had to pick up on replay merits an ejection *and* suspension, especially when we see what we’ve seen the last week
Space Lawyer1Why is that the rule anyway? That seems...excessive.