The next U.S. World Cup match is on uncertain footing after Belgium’s soccer federation announced it plans to challenge FIFA’s decision to rescind a red-card penalty for U.S. star Folarin Balogun. But what exactly is a red card, and how does it work?
The ‘Red Card’: Excessive, dangerous action or yellow card accumulation
The most serious fouls in soccer are excessive force or violent conduct. These offenses can force a referee to flash the infamous red card, ejecting the player responsible.
The player is immediately sent off and cannot be replaced. The team must continue with one fewer player for the remainder of the match. A suspension for at least the next game typically follows.
Examples include a high-stuck tackle that endangers an opponent, fighting or striking another player or denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity through a deliberate foul.
Two yellow cards in the same game can also elevate to a red card and ejection from the match.
Why was Folarin Balogun given a red card?
Balogun was shown a straight red card after VAR reviewed a foul in which he stepped on the ankle of Bosnia defender Tarik Muharemovic while both players were challenging for the ball. Referee Raphael Claus of Brazil initially did not call a card, but after reviewing the footage, he assessed Balogun for serious foul play.
U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino disputed the call. “For me, never is it a red card,” Pochettino said after the match. “Never was there intention to step on the player.”
Balogun was the fifth American ever to receive a red card at a World Cup, according to ESPN.
Under FIFA rules, the U.S. should have been stuck without an appeal.
FIFA’s Disciplinary Code says red cards are for serious foul play and cannot be appealed. Article 66.4 of the code states that “a sending-off automatically incurs suspension from the subsequent match.” That means Balogun was expected to sit out the Round of 16 match against Belgium, scheduled for Monday in Seattle.
Politics in football
But in a surprise announcement over the weekend, FIFA officials announced Balogun would be allowed to play.
The reason? U.S. President Donald Trump reportedly intervened directly in the case, calling top FIFA officials to ask for Balogun’s suspension to be lifted.
FIFA announced Sunday that the suspension had been lifted for the round of 16 match, an extraordinary move that triggered praise from Trump and outrage from Belgium’s team. It appeared to be the first time since 1962 that a red card during a World Cup didn’t result in a suspension.
The U.S.’s next opponent, Belgium, is expected to appeal the ruling, but it’s unclear if FIFA officials will make another about-face before the match Monday night.
The Belgian Federation, or RBFA, which governs the country’s professional soccer league, said it has still not received either “FIFA’s decision or any explanation regarding this matter. In these circumstances, it has no choice but to challenge the player’s eligibility for the upcoming match.”
The Belgian federation said it learned of FIFA’s move through media reports and sent a letter to the governing body requesting a copy of the decision and an explanation of the process.
“As its only response, FIFA sent a letter to the RBFA stating that it considered this correspondence to constitute an appeal, that a judge had been appointed, and that the RBFA had only a few hours to complete that appeal,” it said. “No information whatsoever was provided by FIFA.”
The RBFA insisted that FIFA’s regulations require that the reasoned decision be communicated to the appellant first.
“While the RBFA was merely seeking legitimate explanations, FIFA itself created an appeal and immediately ensured that it would be declared inadmissible,” it said. “All of this occurred while FIFA simultaneously refused to respond to the RBFA’s legitimate requests.”
Who is Folarin Balogun?
Balogun is one of the star players of the U.S. men’s soccer team.
As a striker, responsible for pressing attacks and scoring goals, Balogun originally began with the British soccer team Arsenal. Born in Brooklyn, New York, he chose to represent the U.S. senior national team in 2023, making his debut in June of that year and scoring his first goal with the team in the final of the CONCACAF Nations League.
In the World Cup, he’s been a driving force behind the U.S. team’s success.
Balogun scored twice in the USMNT’s first group-stage game against Paraguay, and again scored his team’s first goal in the game against Bosnia-Herzegovina before his ejection. He is one goal shy of the record for a U.S. men’s player in a single World Cup set in 1930 by Bert Patenaude.
He’s the first U.S. player to receive a red card in this World Cup.
