United States striker Folarin Balogun will be available for his country’s FIFA World Cup Round of 16 match against Belgium after FIFA suspended his one-match ban, a decision welcomed by U.S. President Donald Trump but criticised by Belgian football officials.

The decision, announced on Sunday, overturns Balogun’s automatic suspension following the straight red card he received during the United States’ 2-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina in the last 32. The striker had been dismissed after a VAR review ruled that he stepped on the foot of a Bosnian defender.

Under FIFA regulations, a straight red card normally carries an automatic one-match suspension that cannot be appealed. However, FIFA said the sanction has been suspended for one year, allowing Balogun to feature against Belgium, although the governing body did not provide a detailed explanation for the move.

Reacting to the decision, President Donald Trump praised FIFA on his Truth Social platform, thanking the organisation for what he described as “doing what was right” by reversing what he called “a great injustice.”

The decision sparked an immediate backlash from Belgian football authorities, who said they were “astonished” by the ruling, arguing that it contradicts FIFA’s own World Cup regulations.

U.S. head coach Mauricio Pochettino had earlier insisted Balogun should never have been sent off, maintaining that the striker was simply challenging for the ball and that the contact was accidental rather than intentional. Before FIFA’s decision, Pochettino had accepted that he might have to adjust his attacking plans for the Belgium fixture.

Balogun had also resigned himself to missing the match, telling reporters that the suspension was “something I have to just accept.”

The ruling means the 25-year-old striker is now eligible to face Belgium as the United States look to reach the World Cup quarter-finals.