FIFA officials sent shockwaves through the world of professional soccer on Sunday by announcing the suspension of USMNT star striker Folarin Balogun’s automatic one-game red-card ban. Balogun can now play in tomorrow's highly-anticipated Round of 16 knockout round match against Belgium in Seattle.

The surprising decision comes after the 25-year-old striker received a straight red card on July 1 during the USMNT's first knockout game of the 2026 World Cup. As ESPN reports, Balogun was issued a straight red card (as opposed to two yellow cards) late in the match for a foul on defender Tarik Muharemovic of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

This sanction is, per ESPN, "automatically accompanied by a one-game suspension under Article 10.5 of FIFA’s rules for the tournament" and is additionally not eligible for appeal.

Regardless, on Sunday, FIFA officials confirmed Balogun will be eligible to play tomorrow, citing Article 27 of the organization's code to justify the decision of an independent disciplinary committee to suspend Balogun’s ban for a probationary period of one year. The decision stands as FIFA's first nullification of a suspension for a red card received during the World Cup since 1962.

In response to FIFA's unprecedented ruling, President Donald Trump took to Truth Social to thank the organization for "reversing a great injustice!"

This comes after Trump personally called FIFA head honcho Gianni Infantino following the USMNT's win over Bosnia and Herzegovina and asked that he review Balogun's ban, the New York Times reports. The Times adds that Infantino has spent years trying to curry favor with Trump, including issuing him a "FIFA Peace Prize" in the midst of Trump's failed campaign for a Nobel Peace Prize.

Reactions to the move among the teams set to play at Seattle's Lumen Field on Monday understandably differed among party lines. Fellow star USMNT player Christian Pulisic acknowledged the advantage while speaking to reporters on Sunday.

“Obviously, for us, it gives us a boost,” Pulisic told the New York Times.

By contrast, a statement issued by the Belgian federation decried the ruling as being in "direct contradiction” with the competition's regulations and confirmed they intend to explore “all potential options” ahead of tomorrow's match.

Per the California Post, Royal Belgian Football Association manager Rudi Garcia added a bit of extra spice at his presser by comparing the decision to April Fool's Day.

“I didn’t know that July 5 was equal to April 1 at FIFA,” the French-speaking Garcia groused through his interpreter.

With a little over 24 hours to go until play gets underway, few if any avenues remain for the Belgian federation to avoid facing Balogun tomorrow.

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Image: SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - JULY 01: Folarin Balogun #20 of the United States celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 match between USA and Bosnia and Herzegovina at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium on July 01, 2026 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)