Football apex ruling body said it applied Article 27 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, which allows disciplinary bodies, under certain circumstances, to suspend the enforcement of a sanction on a probationary basis in the case of Folarin Balogun, against Belgium.
FIFA’s decision to clear United States forward for the World Cup Round of 16 against Belgium has left many fans confused after he was given the marching order.
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Under the FIFA World Cup Regulations, a player shown a direct red card is automatically suspended for his team’s next match.
However, FIFA later ruled that Balogun would be eligible to face Belgium, prompting confusion and criticism from the Royal Belgian Football Association.
Contrary to widespread belief, FIFA did not overturn Balogun’s red card.
The dismissal remains part of the official match record, and FIFA has not declared that the referee made an error.
Rather than cancelling the automatic one-match suspension, FIFA suspended its enforcement.
As a result, Balogun is free to play against Belgium, while the one-match ban remains suspended for a one-year probationary period.
Unless the United States forward commits another qualifying disciplinary offence during that period, the suspended sanction may never be enforced.
