Folarin Balogun fined five figures for tackle that led to infamous red card despite having ban suspended

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Folarin Balogun's red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the World Cup Round of 32 has created a firestorm of opinions and statements over the last 48 hours.

Originally banned for one match after being dismissed in last week's game, Balogun was reinstated by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee, allowed to take part in the Round of 16 match against Belgium on Monday.

However, there was a twist, as a media release in the aftermath of the decision indicated that there was still some kind of punishment for the USMNT stariker.

The Sporting News explains why Balogun and the U.S. Soccer federation were fined by FIFA, and what the effects of this decision are.

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Folarin Balogun fined $40,000

According to a release by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee, Folarin Balogun was fined $40,000 for his tackle against Tarik Muharemovic.

The release states that the fine is jointly payable by the player and the federation, having found the U.S. federation "jointly liable."

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Why was Folarin Balogun fined $40,000

No reason was given in the FIFA Disciplinary Committee release for the fine, just like the lengthy release still did not give a fundamental reason for the suspension of his one-game ban, aside from reaffirming that they indeed have the power to do so.

Speculating some, it's possible that the fine was considered a make-good for suspending his one-game ban for a year, as the governing body still wished to impose some kind of immediate punishment.

Still, the optics are awkward. FIFA determines that the foul was not worthy of a red card or the requisite one-game ban, but is somehow worthy of a fine. Red cards do not typically come with official league or governmental fines, as far as the public is aware.

Folarin Balogun controversy

Folarin Balogun's 64th-minute tackle against Bosnia and Herzegovina saw him given a red card, dismissed for serious foul play.

Brazilian referee Raphael Claus did not give a card of any kind live, but after being referred to the pitch-side video monitor by his VAR official, he determined that Balogun had "endangered the safety of the opponent."

The decision was met with significant controversy, as many criticized the referee's excessive use of slow-motion replay and still images in deciding to send Balogun off, rather than considering the distance, force, and nature of the challenge at full speed.

Even as the U.S. held on for a 2-0 victory, advancing them to the Round of 16 against Belgium, it seemed that Balogun would be suspended for the next match as is stipulated by the World Cup regulations. As per the regulations, U.S. Soccer was not allowed to appeal, and the judgement was final.

However, in a shocking decision by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee, Balogun's one-match ban was suspended, meaning he could participate in the match against Belgium. Still, at the time of this publishing, no logical explanation was given for this decision other than citing Article 27 of the FIFA disciplinary code which states the committee can, at any time and for any reason, adjudicate on disciplinary procedures however they see fit.

Even as the referee decision was controversial, FIFA stepping in to seemingly arbitrarily change the regular officiating procedures of the tournament for no stated reason was a bombshell that reverberated throughout the soccer world and garnered significant criticism for a dangerous precedent being set.

It became even more controversial when U.S. president Donald Trump confirmed that he phoned FIFA president Gianni Infantino in the hopes of getting the decision reversed. While FIFA downplayed the effect of this phone call, the perceived interference of a national head of state in a sporting event undermined the fair and balanced nature of the competition and threw into question the true sporting nature of the World Cup.

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