Folarin Balogun was reinstated because FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee reviewed his red card and chose to suspend the punishment instead of enforcing the one- game ban right away. The decision was highly unusual and left him eligible to play against Belgium, with the suspension effectively put on probation for one year.

What happened

Balogun was initially sent off after a video review of his foul in the match against Bosnia-Herzegovina. FIFA then reversed course and said the ban would be deferred unless he committed a similar offense during the probation period.

Why it changed

Reports say the reversal followed pressure from Donald Trump, who called FIFA president Gianni Infantino and asked for the case to be reviewed. That unusual intervention sparked criticism from UEFA, FIFA watchers, and Belgium’s side.

Practical result

He became available for the next match, rather than serving the standard one- game suspension. FIFA’s ruling did not erase the incident; it only paused the penalty unless there’s another similar offense within the probation window.

Quick scoop

Balogun wasn’t “cleared” in the sense of being found innocent; FIFA simply delayed the punishment after review.

If you want, I can also lay out the exact timeline in 3 steps.