The United States men’s national team has confirmed that star striker Folarin Balogun will be in the starting lineup for Monday night’s World Cup round of 16 showdown against Belgium. The inclusion follows a surprise decision by FIFA to place Balogun’s one-game suspension on hold.
The suspension stemmed from a red card issued during the July 1 match against Bosnia-Herzegovina, where Balogun clashed with an opponent’s foot. Although FIFA initially stated the decision was final and could not be appealed, the governing body announced on Sunday that the implementation of the suspension is now on hold for a one-year probationary period. FIFA noted that if Balogun commits another infringement of similar nature during this time, the original sanction will be enforced alongside any new penalties.
The decision has drawn sharp criticism from the Royal Belgium Football Association (RBFA), which released a statement expressing astonishment. The RBFA indicated it is investigating potential options to protect the principles of fair play. Similarly, UEFA issued a statement on Monday criticizing the ruling, calling it an “unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable decision” that contradicts established tournament regulations regarding red card suspensions.
Following the July 1 match, which the U.S. won 2-0, head coach Mauricio Pochettino had stated that Balogun was disappointed by the call, maintaining that the clash was unintentional. That victory marked the team’s first in the round of 32 since 2002 and only the second knockout victory in the program’s history. The U.S. team finished the group stage with a 2-1 record, while Belgium advanced to this stage after topping their group and defeating Senegal 3-2.
The match is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET at Seattle Stadium. The winner will move on to face Spain in the quarterfinals in Los Angeles this Friday. The U.S. is looking to improve upon their best-ever tournament result, a third-place finish in 1930.
team has been impressive in the 2026 tournament so far, finishing the group stage with a 2-1 record, with wins over Paraguay and Australia before a loss to Turkey, which occurred once the team had already secured a spot in the next round.Belgium, meanwhile, finished at the top of their group with one win and two draws and advanced from the round of 32 with a 3-2 win over Senegal.The U.S.
