How US Soccer got Folarin Balogun’s suspension overturned — including Trump’s phone call

SEATTLE — At the end of the day — a day before the most significant match in U.S. men’s soccer history — justice was served.

Folarin Balogun, the dynamic U.S. striker who’s scored a goal in each of the three matches he’s played in this World Cup, will play against Belgium in Monday’s massive Round of 16 showdown.

FIFA lifted the highly controversial one-game ban Sunday that would have prevented Balogun from playing against Belgium. He had received a straight red card for accidentally stepping on the right ankle of Bosnia-Herzegovina defender Tarik Muharemovic in Wednesday’s Round of 32 match.

With no evidence of intent by Balogun to harm Muharemovic, and the match referee not even issuing a yellow card in real time before VAR intervened to send him off, justice was served.

The Post has learned exclusively that this justice was served after U.S. Soccer threatened legal action against FIFA for incorrectly applying its video assistant referee process.

https://nypost.com/2026/07/05/sports/how-us-soccer-got-folarin-baloguns-suspension-overturned-including-trumps-phone-call/