Folarin Baloguns suspension lifted: Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes, J.J. Watt and celebrities erupt after USMNT star cleared for Belgium

SEATTLE — The first sign that a miracle had happened wasn’t at the United States men’s national team hotel, meeting, or in the locker room.It was on social media. By the time the team bus rolled onto the campus at the University of Washington for Sunday morning’s final training session ahead of their anticipated match against Belgium on Monday in the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, social media had already erupted. The news broke that FIFA had made a stunning decision to suspend Folarin Balogun’s red card suspension from the Round of 32 match against Bosnia-Herzegovina for a one-year probationary period, clearing the American striker to play against Belgium. The players could hardly believe it themselves.“I had no clue.

We just found out this morning,” defender Alex Freeman said.“For us, we just got the information and now we’re ready.”Chris Richards admitted the team initially wondered whether the reports were real.“With AI and with this and that, there can be a few question marks,” Richards said with a grin.

“Ultimately, we found out through social media.It took about 10 minutes to confirm it.

We were so happy.”Asked how the atmosphere on the bus was when the news was confirmed by U.S.Soccer, Richards had a one-word response:“LIT,” he said with a big grin.Christian Pulisic didn’t need social media to know what the decision meant.“I just saw a big smile on his face,” Pulisic said of Balogun when he heard the news.

“I got to see him and dab him up after that.Knowing that we’re going to have him around tomorrow helps so much and gives us a big boost.”Outside the team bubble, the reaction became a virtual pep rally.

Former athletes, television personalities, celebrities, major sports teams and even President Donald Trump all weighed in.NFL legends Tom Brady, J.J.Watt and Patrick Mahomes celebrated the news, while MLB great CC Sabathia, NFL stars George Kittle, Chase Daniel and Robert Griffin III, Knicks stan...