FIFA’s last-minute reversal on Folarin Balogun’s red card has set up a loaded Round of 16 clash in Seattle, and fans everywhere are scrambling to find a stream that isn’t blacked out.
THE NEWS
Folarin Balogun, the USA’s leading scorer at this World Cup, is back in the lineup for tonight’s Round of 16 match against Belgium after FIFA’s disciplinary committee suspended the one-match ban he picked up against Bosnia and Herzegovina. Balogun was sent off in the 64th minute of that match following a VAR review for a challenge on a Bosnian defender — a decision that would ordinarily have ruled him out of tonight’s game at Lumen Field in Seattle. Instead, FIFA ruled that “the implementation of the match suspension is suspended for a probationary period of one year,” clearing Balogun to start.
According to reporting from CBS News, ESPN and NPR, the reversal came after a phone call between President Trump and FIFA president Gianni Infantino. Belgium’s federation said it was “astonished” by the timing, and head coach Rudi Garcia did not hide his frustration, telling reporters, “I didn’t know that at the FIFA World Cup, the 5th of July is now the 1st of April, April Fool’s Day,” per ESPN.
With Balogun back in the frame and the winner set to face the Portugal-Spain winner in the quarterfinals, tonight is one of the highest-stakes matches left for the co-hosts. Here’s how to catch every minute, wherever you happen to be watching from.
HOW TO WATCH
In the US, Fox carries the English-language broadcast free over the air and on the Fox Sports app, while Telemundo’s Spanish-language call streams on Peacock. UK fans get it free too — the match airs live on BBC One and streams on BBC iPlayer. If your usual broadcaster is geo-blocked or you’re traveling, TurisVPN gets you back in: install the app, connect to a server in the country of the broadcaster you want (US for Fox, UK for BBC), then open that broadcaster’s app or site and stream as if you were home.
| Broadcaster | Country | Free? | VPN Server | URL |
| Fox | USA | Yes (over-the-air) | United States | foxsports.com |
| Peacock (Telemundo) | USA | No (subscription) | United States | peacocktv.com |
| BBC iPlayer | UK | Yes (free) | United Kingdom | bbc.co.uk/iplayer |
Don’t miss what comes next
Every Round of 16 and quarterfinal match unlocked, no matter where you’re watching from. Get TurisVPN at turisvpn.com.
