Folarin Balogun named in starting XI for U.S. vs. Belgium - ESPN

Mauricio Pochettino handed Folarin Balogun a spot in the starting lineup for the United States in its round-of-16 match with Belgium in the FIFA World Cup on Monday in Seattle.

Balogun initially was set to miss the game after receiving a red card following a VAR review in the USMNT's win over Bosnia-Herzegovina in the round of 32. However, on Sunday, FIFA suspended the red card for Balogun, placing him on a one-year probation instead and making him available to face Belgium.

On Monday, Pochettino picked Balogun in his starting XI, naming the exact same lineup the U.S. fielded in the win over Bosnia as the Americans looked to reach the quarterfinals of a World Cup for the first time since 2002.

On the Belgium side, manager Rudi Garcia surprisingly left star players Jérémy Doku and Kevin De Bruyne out of his starting lineup. The two had featured prominently in Belgium's first four games, except for the one game Doku missed when he returned home for the birth of his son.

The drama around Balogun and his red card has dominated World Cup headlines over the last 48 hours.

On Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed reports from a day earlier that he had contacted FIFA boss Gianni Infantino to ask for details about the suspension and if there was a possibility the decision could be reviewed.

Belgium's federation and Europe's soccer governing body UEFA were among the most vocal of the critics of the decision to suspend Balogun's ban and allow him to play.

«The Royal Belgian Football Association is astonished by FIFA's decision to declare suspended United States player Folarin Balogun eligible to play in the USA-Belgium match on Monday, 6 July at 5:00 p.m. [Seattle time],» Belgium's FA said in a statement Sunday.

On Monday,