FIFA ruling puts Balogun at center of U.S.-Belgium World Cup tie

The United States entered its World Cup round-of-16 match against Belgium with Folarin Balogun available after FIFA removed the effect of a red-card suspension that would have kept the team’s leading scorer out. The decision shifted attention from the knockout tie itself to the tournament’s disciplinary process, after Belgium objected and UEFA publicly condemned the ruling.

Balogun had been shown a red card for foul play during the United States’ 2-0 round-of-32 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium on July 1, according to Getty Images captions from the match. The dismissal initially carried a one-match ban, which would have applied to the Belgium game.

FIFA later overturned the decision, clearing Balogun to take part in the round-of-16 match at Lumen Field in Seattle on July 6. In practical terms, the reversal meant the United States did not have to replace its leading scorer for one of the tournament’s elimination matches.

Belgium challenged FIFA’s handling of the case, but the governing body dismissed the protest as inadmissible. UEFA criticized the decision in unusually sharp terms, calling it “unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable.”

The case drew further scrutiny after President Donald Trump defended his decision to urge FIFA President Gianni Infantino to review Balogun’s red card. That intervention raised questions over whether political pressure had influenced the review, though the available record did not establish that FIFA’s ruling resulted from outside pressure.

Images from Seattle showed Balogun warming up before the U.S.-Belgium match, while Belgium players including Timothy Castagne and Brandon Mechele were pictured emerging from the tunnel before kickoff. U.S. supporters were also photographed in the stands ahead of the fixture.

Spain advances as Portugal exits

In a separate round-of-16 match, Portugal’s World Cup campaign ended with a 1-0 defeat to Spain at Dallas Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Mikel Merino scored late for Spain, according to Getty Images captions, sending his team into the quarterfinals.

The result also ended Cristiano Ronaldo’s pursuit of a World Cup title. Photographs from the match showed Ronaldo reacting after Merino’s goal, while Merino was pictured celebrating Spain’s first and only goal of the game.

Spain’s win added another major European side to the quarterfinal field, while Portugal exited after failing to answer Merino’s late strike. No further match statistics were provided beyond the final score and the scorer.

The two developments gave the knockout round contrasting focal points: a disciplinary dispute surrounding one of the United States’ central attackers, and the end of Ronaldo’s latest World Cup campaign after Portugal’s narrow loss to Spain.

This story draws on original reporting from CNBC.