U.S. men's national team (USMNT) legend Landon Donovan has endorsed FIFA's decision to lift the suspension of Folarin Balogun, stating that the governing body "got the decision right." Balogun was initially suspended after receiving a red card during the USMNT's 2-0 victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Balogun was shown a red card in the 61st minute of the match for accidentally stepping on the ankle of Bosnia-Herzegovina defender Tarik Muharemovic. The decision sparked controversy, with comparisons drawn to a similar incident involving Cristiano Ronaldo during World Cup qualifying.
In Ronaldo's case, he was initially facing a suspension for three matches, including two World Cup games, but it was ultimately reduced to the final qualifying match. FIFA's judicial body has the authority to suspend or partially suspend disciplinary measures, as outlined in Article 27 of its regulations. Both Balogun and Ronaldo will enter a probationary period lasting one year.
"It's not for me to judge whether I like it or don't like it. Obviously, in this case, I love it," Donovan said in a video released on his X account. "In the end, they got the decision right. Flo should have never been sent off. You never wanna send off a player, especially when they have the chance to play a Round of 16 in their home country."
Donovan emphasized that the ruling is not unprecedented, citing the Ronaldo incident as a precedent. "So the great news is Flo is back. I think justice was done, and let's go, I can't wait for tomorrow," he added.