National Writer: Charles Boehm<\/span>\n <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n SEATTLE \u2013 One of the biggest matches in US men\u2019s national team<\/a> history has taken on a new complexion.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n As the USMNT and Belgium count down to Monday\u2019s massive FIFA World Cup<\/a> Round of 16 match at Seattle Sounders FC<\/a>‘s home stadium, debates swirl over the dramatic development that star striker Folarin Balogun is eligible to play<\/a> despite his VAR-imposed red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina last week.<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t know that at FIFA\u2019s headquarters, July 5 is the same thing as April 1 in Europe,\u201d declared Belgium manager Rudi Garcia in French during his team\u2019s pregame press conference on Sunday afternoon, with the Royal Belgian Football Association releasing a statement<\/a> declaring itself \u201castonished by FIFA’s decision\u201d to commit Balogun\u2019s one-match suspension to a one-year probationary period instead, and threatening legal action.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Belgian federation isn\u2019t just defending itself. It\u2019s not just defending the national team. It\u2019s defending football in general,\u201d said Garcia. \u201cIt\u2019s defending its integrity, defending its ethics. From memory, it\u2019s the first time in the history of the World Cup that there\u2019s been this type of decision.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Breaking: Folarin Balogun will be available to play in USA’s Round of 16 match against Belgium on Monday, FIFA announced.<\/p>\n The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has suspended the red card issued to the USA striker during their Round of 32 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina. pic.twitter.com\/Vei4RKDKfP<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u2014 ESPN (@espn) July 5, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n Not long afterwards, USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino presented a very different viewpoint.<\/p>\n The Yanks\u2019 boss framed FIFA\u2019s decision as justice being done to rectify an unfair ejection that had already inflicted undue adversity on his side, with the US camp steadfast that Balogun\u2019s stomp on Bosnian defender Tarik Muharemovi\u0107\u2019s foot and ankle was an unintentional play similar to others seen in this tournament, meriting a yellow card at most.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was never a red card. There was a mistake, call it what you will, and the resulting punishment is far too severe, especially for an action that was unintentional,\u201d said \u2018Poch\u2019 in Spanish.<\/p>\n \u201cEveryone has said so; 99.9% of people in the football world have called it an unjust sanction. Furthermore, there are precedents where sanctions have been suspended or deferred, so I don’t understand why anyone would be surprised. This isn’t something extraordinary that only happens to us; it has happened before.<\/p>\n \u201cIf anyone was harmed in this situation, it was the United States. If anyone tries to argue that we weren’t punished, playing 30 or 35 minutes a man down in a World Cup knockout match, well, there\u2019s no extraordinary benefit we\u2019re gaining here. Ultimately, we aren’t playing the victim, but we certainly aren’t the villains of this story, either.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Mauricio Pochettino shares his thoughts on Flo Balogun’s lifted suspension and availability pic.twitter.com\/zQ5ByOvduR<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 FOX Sports (@FOXSports) July 5, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n The story has been rendered that much more convoluted by multiple media reports<\/a> that U.S. President Donald Trump called his FIFA counterpart, Gianni Infantino, on Wednesday to inquire about a review of Balogun\u2019s suspension, despite there being no known process by which U.S. Soccer could file an appeal.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, we cannot mix that. We cannot mix that. That is a decision from FIFA with the evidence that happened before, and that’s it,\u201d said Pochettino when asked about the potential repercussions of that sort of political involvement, using a Formula 1 auto-racing metaphor to contend that FIFA and other governing bodies must ensure high standards for Video Review officiating.<\/p>\n \u201cThe VAR is not the problem,\u201d he said. \u201cIt is who is going to drive the Ferrari or the Mercedes-Benz, that is the key. To lose [the ability to play in] a game in the World Cup is tough for a player.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Pulisic tells @JennyTaft<\/a> how happy he is to see Flo Balogun smiling after his suspension was lifted pic.twitter.com\/apWeI4EyYk<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 FOX Sports (@FOXSports) July 5, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n All this furor pushed the March friendly between these two sides, a\u00a05-2 Belgium win<\/a> in Atlanta that raised questions about the USMNT\u2019s readiness for this tournament, that much further into the background.<\/p>\n Yanks captain Tim Ream<\/a> has said that match won\u2019t matter compared to the huge stakes and pressure of this clash, and Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois suggested something similar as he discussed the danger posed by a co-host nation.<\/p>\n \u201cWe know tomorrow\u2019s match against the host nation will be tough; the odds are stacked against us, and obviously, they\u2019re very eager to beat us, just as we are to beat them,\u201d the Real Madrid star said in Spanish.<\/p>\n \u201cThey have a lot of quality up front; they arrive well in the box, they create a lot of 1v1s for the goalkeeper. \u2026 We’ll be ready for the game, for the 11 that will start.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n MD-1 Mode. pic.twitter.com\/1gAtIWD8fd<\/a><\/p>\n\n
Rearing to go<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
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Controversial call<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
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Massive stakes<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
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