FIFA at centre of new political storm ahead of USA Belgium as Donald Trump intervenes

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Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Sign Up By submitting your information, you confirm you are aged 16 or over, have read our Privacy Policy and agree to the Terms & Conditions. Geographical rules apply. Folarin Balogun (Image credit: Getty Images) Copy link Facebook X Pinterest Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Folarin Balogun has been cleared to play in USA's World Cup clash with Belgium.

The USA were set to be without Folarin Balogun for their World Cup round-of-16 meeting with Belgium after being sent off in the win over Bosnia and Herzegovina.However the Monaco forward will now be available as Mauricio Pochettino's side aim to reach the tournament's quarter-final stage for the first time since 2002.Play our FREE match predictor and win £1k FIFA suspend Folarin Balogun's World Cup ban Folarin Balogun (Image credit: Getty Images)Balogun has been the Stars and Stripes' most potent player in their first World Cup hosted on home soil since 1994, scoring three goals in as many starts.

But his hopes of leading his country into the last eight appeared to be dashed by a red card for planting his foot into Tarik Muharemovic's ankle during a collision. Balogun's red card was set to rule him out of the Belgium clash (Image credit: Getty Images)Under FIFA rules, Balgoun's sending-off incurred an automatic one-match suspension that would have ruled him out of the showdown at Seattle Stadium.Yet world football's governing body has again exercised an unusual rule from its Disciplinary Code that means the 25-year-old's ban is suspended for one year.

Get the FourFourTwo NewsletterThe best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsThe probationary period covered by Article 27 allows bans to be paused provided they are not followed up with 'another infringement of a similar nature and gravity'.It was previously used to clear Cristiano Ronaldo's red card to participate in the start of Portugal's group campaign after his sending-off in the World Cup play-offs.

Ronaldo's waived ban also opened the door for Ecuador's Moises Caicedo and Nicolas Otamendi of Argentina, who were both sent off in the same game, to play. US President Donald Trump reportedly contacted FIFA's Gianni Infantino (Image credit: Getty Images)Balogun's case also received a helping hand from US President Donald Trump, who reportedly lobbied his FIFA counterpart Gianni Infantino to review the case.The leader of the free world and the head of the global game have enjoyed a warm relationship that led to Trump receiving the first-ever FIFA Peace Prize last year.

Trump reacted to Balogun's overturned ban on his Truth Social social media platform by hailing FIFA for 'doing what was right and reversing a great injustice'. U.S.

President Donald Trump (L) (Image credit: Getty Images)The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) have since released a strong statement in response to the suspension of Balogun's ban."T