The Cristiano Ronaldo World Cup precedent that changed USMNT star Folarin Balogun’s red card fortunes

Source: New York Post

Folarin Balogun wasn’t the only player who benefitted from a red-card suspension being reversed in favor of a probationary period. Cristiano Ronaldo, the Portugal star, avoided missing the first two games of the World Cup following a red card in November that led to a three-match ban — instead only missing his country’s final qualifying match and returning for their opener. That context seemingly paved the way for Sunday, when FIFA cited Article 27 as the reason for why Balogun — shown a red card during the U.