SEATTLE — Folarin Balogun’s one-game ban was suspended by FIFA on Sunday, allowing the forward to play in the United States’ World Cup round of 16 game against Belgium on Tuesday.
Balogun, who leads the Americans with three goals, received a red card for stepping on the foot of Tarik Muharemović of Bosnia and Herzegovina in a 2-0 round of 32 win on Wednesday.
“The implementation of the match suspension is suspended for a probationary period of one year,” FIFA announced Sunday. “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.”
The host U.S. is seeking to reach the quarterfinals for the first time since 2002. The Americans lost in the round of 16 to Ghana in 2010, Belgium in 2014 and the Netherlands in 2022. They failed to advance from the group stage in 2006 and didn’t qualify for the 2018 tournament.