Just when the U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team looked to be shorthanded going into its next World Cup match, FIFA made a shocking announcement.Though the team won 2-0 against Bosnia-Herzegovina on Wednesday, the victory was bittersweet for the United States given that lead scorer Folarin Balogun received a red card in the 64th minute, which came with a suspension for the next match.’It’s a bad, bad, bad, bad decision.’Just a day before their pivotal round-of-16 match against Belgium, the Americans learned they could breathe a sigh of relief knowing that FIFA had concluded, following a review, that Balogun’s foul was no longer worthy of a suspension.The FIFA disciplinary committee announced it would instead place Balogun on a probationary period, allegedly after President Donald Trump gave FIFA President Gianni Infantino a call following Wednesday’s game.Trump called Infantino to ask if FIFA’s governing body would review the red card, the Associated Press reported, while Fox News similarly reported this to be the case, citing an inside source. “In line with article 27 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, the implementation of the match suspension is suspended for a probationary period of one year,” FIFA said in a statement, per NBC News. “If Folarin Balogun commits another infringement of a similar nature and gravity during the probationary period, the suspension shall be revoked and the sanction enforced without prejudice to any additional sanction imposed for the new infringement.”Trump reacted to the news on Sunday afternoon with a post on Truth Social that read, “Thank you to FIFA for doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice!”RELATED: Trump’s USA World Cup watch party a raucous hit on National MallAdding controversy to the story is the fact that referee Raphael Claus — who issued the red card to Balogun — has been involved in an investigation surrounding match-fixing in Brazil.The New York Post reported that Claus was summoned as a witness in a match-fixing and sports-betting investigation in 2024, in which multiple soccer teams had raised concerns over his in-match decisions and issuance of cards. However, Claus was found not guilty and faced no charges or punishments as investigators reportedly found no direct evidence that linked him to any such schemes.Claus refereed in the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, too.Neither the Brazilian Football Confederation nor FIFA responded to a request for comment from Blaze News.ReactionsBelgium head coach Rudi Garcia was described by the Associated Press as mocking FIFA’s decision, comparing it to an April Fool’s joke: “I didn’t know that in the offices of FIFA the 5th of July was the 1st of April in Europe.”Garcia added, “The Belgian federation does not defend itself; it does not protect the national team. She defends football in general, she defends her integrity, her ethics. I think it’s the first time in the history of the World Cup that there is this kind of decision.”The Royal Belgian Football Association said it was “astonished” by the decision and that it was “investigating all potential options.”RELATED: NFL legend Chris Johnson, father of 4, reveals devastating diagnosis: ‘I can’t even hold a cup’ The United States Soccer Federation said it was “pleased” by FIFA’s decision to reinstate Balogun, according to NBC News.”We accept the decision of the Disciplinary Committee and are pleased that Folarin Balogun is eligible to compete [Monday],” the statement said. “Our full attention is focused on the Round of 16 match against Belgium in Seattle, and we look forward to the continued support of our amazing fans.”At the same time, Norway head coach Stale Solbakken said FIFA rescinding the suspension was a “bad decision” that would tarnish a U.S. victory, should the team prevail against Belgium.”It’s a bad, bad, bad, bad decision for the World Cup, and I feel sorry for the U.S., because if they win, the result will always be looked at in that way,” Solbakken said, per ESPN.Soccer legend Zlatan Ibrahimovic said the red card should never have been given in the first place.The United States and Belgium play at 8 p.m. ET on Monday at Lumen Field in Seattle.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
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ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel made a cameo appearance on Larry
