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The United States men’s national team got a boost when Folarin Balogun’s red card from the round of 16 was suspended, giving him a chance to play in the round of 16 – or at least that’s what American soccer fans thought.
The day before the USMNT’s Round of 16 match against Belgium, which Balogun was initially expected to miss due to a red card in the previous match, FIFA ruled that he would be eligible.
The decision added to what was already a huge controversy, as it was argued that Balogun should not have received a red card in the first place. Nevertheless, Balogun was active despite an appeal and a strong reaction from Belgium.
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United States forward Folarin Balogun kicks the ball against Bosnia and Herzegovina during the 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 16 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. (David Gonzalez)
However, that didn’t really shake things up, as Belgium embarrassed the Stars and Stripes with a 4-1 victory. If anything, the needle could have moved in the wrong direction, Balogun himself said.
“My first reaction was that I was happy to be back on the team, but when I started thinking about it, I knew it was going to cause a lot of controversy, and I could almost see in my teammates a little bit of nervousness, because it’s something so unique,” Balogun told CBS on Tuesday.
“The closer we got to the match, I tried to concentrate as best I could, but it was difficult. There was a lot of outside noise and that’s hard to avoid.”
Balogun said the whole situation was “confusing” as the team was initially training without him. But the team discovered on the bus to practice that Balogun would be active.
“Everyone was yelling and screaming,” Balogun said.
Belgian coach praises Folarin Balogun’s elegant gesture after red card controversy: ‘I really liked it’
USA’s Folarin Balogun celebrates his first goal during the 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 16 match against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Santa Clara, California. (Phil Noble/Reuters via Imagn Images)
But that didn’t change the whirlwind of emotions, which may or may not have contributed to this loss.
“It’s more just about being able to separate the emotion from the job at hand. We’re all professionals, so it’s not something that I think it was too difficult to be able to separate once we got over the initial announcement. You saw it was a tough game against Belgium and that may kind of overshadow our concentration or not. Being in the camp and inside the setup, I know we were fully focused before the game,” he said. declared.
President Donald Trump admitted to calling FIFA President Gianni Infantino to ask for a review of the red card.
“All I did was ask for a review, because I didn’t think it was wrong,” Trump said. “And again, I’m good at that kind of thing. I didn’t think it was a foul. I thought it was two great athletes crashing and getting tangled. It wasn’t a guy hitting someone in the face or anything that would be different.
Team USA forward Folarin Balogun celebrates a goal during the 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 32 match against Bosnia and Herzegovina at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
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“I think it’s terrible…if they hadn’t allowed a top player, maybe the best, maybe one of the best on the team, to play, I think it would have had a big stain. a foul, and you want to see a game with your best players.”
Belgium was eliminated by Spain in the quarterfinals, and Spain will face France in the first semifinal on Tuesday in Atlanta.
