The USA’s red card was reportedly annulled by FIFA’s disciplinary panel , which said it was applying a rarely used rule in its code rather than simply “overturning” a normal appeal. In the coverage, the move is described as highly unusual, and several outlets say it followed a call from Donald Trump to FIFA leadership asking for a review of Folarin Balogun’s suspension.

What happened

  • Folarin Balogun was initially given a straight red card and a one-match ban after the match against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
  • FIFA later said an independent panel reversed that suspension, making him available for the next match against Belgium.
  • The decision was controversial because straight red cards are generally not supposed to be overturned through ordinary appeals.

Why it was reversed

FIFA’s explanation, as reported, was that it used Article 27 of its disciplinary code to annul the sending-off, while still keeping the red card on record for a year. That means the punishment was effectively lifted for the match, but the incident was not erased completely.

Why people are arguing

  • Supporters say FIFA corrected an injustice and applied its rules as written.
  • Critics say it looks like political pressure influenced a sporting decision, which is why the reversal has drawn accusations of favoritism and corruption.

TL;DR

The red card was reversed because FIFA’s disciplinary panel used a special rule to annul the suspension after an extraordinary review, widely reported to have followed Trump’s intervention.