Folarin Balogun sparks injury concern as he warms up for USA World Cup clash against Belgium after ban was overturned

USA star Folarin Balogun sparked an injury scare during warm-up ahead of a heated World Cup tie with Belgium. Balogun, 25, was free to play in the game after having his red card suspended. The striker started for Team USA in their last-16 tie at the Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington. President Donald Trump and Fifa chief Gianni Infantino sparked outrage after the Monaco star’s red card reversal from the last-32 match against Bosnia & Herzegovina. The ex-Arsenal ace was shown a straight red card that was backed by VAR after a rough challenge that bent Tarik Muharemovic’s ankle and was thus set to miss the match against a superior Belgium. However, Trump admitted he personally called Infantino, 56, and asked him to review the decision as he mistakenly thought it was unfair before Fifa lifted Balogun’s red card with a one-year probation. Read More on Football POTUS praised the reversal as “beautiful,” and commended the Fifa president as a “smart, tough man” whose “stock has gone through the roof.” The decision sparked fury within football with Belgium chiefs and Uefa chastising the governing body’s handling of the situation. USA manager Mauricio Pochettino hailed the decision and reinstated the centre-forward in his starting line-up. But the ex-Reims star was spotted with a strapping on his left leg and knee during warm-up. Most read in Football Nevertheless, that didn’t stop the USA international from taking to the field with his team-mates in the nation’s capital. This comes after news that Balogun was hit with a $40,000 fine – half of which is payable by US Soccer. Belgium appealed the decision to allow Balogun to play and threatened to demand USA are kicked out of the World Cup. But they took care of matters on the field in a 4-1 victory. Confirming their appeal against Balogun’s clearance to play had been rejected, team chiefs said: “To date, the Royal Belgian FA has still not received any grounds for this decision, nor has it received the information it has been requesting since the start of this procedure. “Fifa has yet to provide us with a copy of the decision and the motivation declaring the player eligible as well as the referee’s report – this is a breach of Fifa regulations. “The RBFA has informed the United States Soccer Federation that it contests the eligibility of the player, should the player be listed on the referee’s team sheet. This leaves all further actions open.” As refusing to play if Balogun is selected would lead to a forfeit, Belgium indicated their likely actions before the match. The Court of Arbitration for Sport has the ability to hold an expedited hearing over the next 48 hours. CAS can also make a final decision before the scheduled quarter-final date in Los Angeles on Friday. Belgium will argue that the USMNT had fielded an ineligible player under Fifa’s regulations. And that a player receiving a red card must have a mandatory minimum one game suspension. How to watch the 2026 World Cup THE 2026 World Cup is finally here - and you can get some incredible deals to watch all the action. All 104 matches will be broadcast on Fox and FS1, and can be watched through a number of streaming services. We have all the places to watch the USMNT and the rest of the world fight it out this summer. *If you click on a link in this boxout we will earn affiliate revenue - Hulu + live TV: subscribe here for just $12.99 a month! - DirecTV: subscribe here from $84.99 a month! - Sling TV: subscribe here starting at $34.99 a month!