The USMNT will have starting striker Folarin Balogun available for their crucial World Cup knockout match against Belgium following a shock decision by FIFA.

On Sunday morning, the governing body unexpectedly intervened to suspend the mandatory one-match ban stemming from the forward’s recent red card.

The 25-year-old forward was issued a straight red card during the Americans’ recent victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina following a challenge on defender Tarik Muharemovic.

Under Article 10.5 of FIFA’s tournament regulations, the dismissal automatically carries a mandatory one-game suspension.

Multiple FIFA officials had previously confirmed that national teams are prohibited from formally appealing red cards or the subsequent disciplinary sanctions.

However, the governing body’s judicial committee utilized a rare stipulation within Article 27 of the disciplinary code to circumvent the immediate ban.

The specific regulation allows the committee to fully or partially suspend the implementation of a disciplinary measure, effectively placing Balogun on a probationary period for the remainder of the World Cup.

The disciplinary body recently applied the exact same probationary regulation to Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo ahead of the global tournament.

More to follow…