Why the USMNT can't appeal Folarin Balogun's suspension after his controversial World Cup red card

Folarin Balogun is set to miss the United States’ World Cup Round of 16 game against Belgium after he received a red card in the USMNT’s 2-0 win against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Balogun was sent off in the 64th minute for a seemingly accidental foul on Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Tarek Muharemovic as they were playing the ball. The foul was not deemed card-worthy by referee Raphael Claus, but he was sent to the monitor by VAR official Juan Soto as replays showed Muharemovic’s ankle turned when Balogun stepped on him.

Once Balogun was sent off, the United States was forced to play the rest of the game with 10 men. And Balogun’s hopes of playing in the next round disappeared.

As soon as Balogun was sent off, there were hopes from fans on social media that the United States could appeal the penalty. However, there’s no protocol for that.

According to FIFA’s rule book, “if a player or team official is sent off as a result of a direct or indirect red card [for a second yellow card], they will automatically be suspended from their team’s subsequent match.” Rule 10.5 also specifies that further penalties can be added.

Nothing in the section about yellow and red cards says anything about the one-match ban being subject to an appeal. And that fact was confirmed to the Athletic by FIFA sources late Wednesday night.

If Balogun had been sent off for a red card for violent conduct, then the appeals process could have been brought into play. A violent conduct red card results in a three-match ban, though FIFA has shown it’s willing to reduce that penalty as teams can appeal it.

Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo got a red card for an elbow during Portugal’s World Cup qualifying campaign and the ensuing three-match ban would have forced him to miss two World Cup matches.

However, that three-match ban was reduced to one with two of the games deferred. The 41-year-old Ronaldo has played every minute of Portugal’s three World Cup matches so far.

Without Balogun on the field, the United States’ task gets a lot tougher against Belgium. Balogun has been the team’s best attacking player and leads the USMNT with three goals in four games. Without him on the field, USMNT coach Mauricio Pochettino could choose to start Ricardo Pepi up front, or place Christian Pulisic as the team’s striker with another player like Timothy Weah inserted into the lineup on the wing.