U.S. President Donald Trump has thanked FIFA for suspending striker Folarin Balogun’s one-match ban, allowing him to play in the United States’ upcoming World Cup round-of-16 match against Belgium in Seattle. The decision came after FIFA’s disciplinary committee announced that Balogun’s suspension would be deferred for one year under Article 27 of its disciplinary code. The committee did not provide a specific reason for the move.

Balogun had received a straight red card in the round-of-32 match against Bosnia and Herzegovina for a foul following a VAR review. Normally, such a red card carries an automatic one-match suspension with no appeal. The U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio had earlier urged FIFA to overturn the red card before the decision was made. The ruling mirrors a previous case in which Cristiano Ronaldo’s suspension was partially deferred during World Cup qualifiers.

U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino and captain Christian Pulisic welcomed the decision, saying it boosted team confidence. The U.S. Soccer Federation also expressed relief and confirmed full focus on the Belgium match.