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2 hours ago
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FIFA has done this before.
That's the real thing you need to know when trying to make sense of their out-of-nowhere decision to allow United States striker Folarin Balogun to play against Belgium on Monday night in the World Cup Round of 16.
They've done it, in fact, with Portugal legend Cristiano Ronaldo.
It's a Ronaldo-related precedent that may have come through for the USMNT.
The context is this: Ronaldo earned a red card in Portugal's second-to-last competitive match before the World Cup.
With it, FIFA decided Ronaldo had earned himself a three-match suspension.
MORE: How Folarin Balogun is allowed to play vs. Belgium after red card
Normally, that would've accounted for their final qualifying match, then the first two games of the World Cup.
But at that time, FIFA announced that the second and third games of the suspension would only have to be served after a one-year probation period.
Essentially, FIFA said Ronaldo can play in the World Cup, and they'll worry about the suspension later.
Given that Ronaldo might retire internationally after this World Cup, there's a decent chance those games never get served.
It's a bit different for Balogun, but the point is the same -- FIFA can do this if they want to.
There's a rule that specifically allows them to withhold certain suspensions like this.
They've yet to release an exact reasoning, and maybe it won't be particularly detailed anyway.
But somehow, whether because they think Balogun's red card was harsh or because they simply think he should be on the field for the U.S., they've overturned it.
It could change everything for the USMNT against Belgium, and it might just have Ronaldo to thank.
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