Folarin Balogun, the striker of the United States national team, spoke about the controversy surrounding the lifting of his suspension during the 2026 World Cup, and its impact on the team.
Folarin Balogun
Club: Monaco
The United States national team bid farewell to the tournament from the round of 16 after losing to Belgium 4-1.
Balogun said via CBS channel: "It wasn't even a ball worth tackling, so I was completely shocked by the red card".
He added, "I had no choice but to accept the decision and try to be there to support my team".
He continued, "When the tackle is not intentional, there should be no red card; it was just an unintentional moment that put us under great pressure".
Regarding the decision to lift the suspension, he said: "At first I was happy to return, but upon thinking about it, I realized that the matter would spark a lot of controversy".
He went on, "I could see some tension on my teammates' faces; it was an exceptional situation, and the closer the match got, the more I tried to focus, but the external noise made it difficult".
FIFA's disciplinary committee had decided to lift the player's suspension before the match against Belgium, following an intervention by Donald Trump who contacted Gianni Infantino to reconsider the penalty.
The incident sparked widespread controversy, before Belgium succeeded in settling the match and qualifying, in a game affected by the atmosphere of the crisis off the pitch.
Belgium's players exploited the situation, as they celebrated the final goal in a sarcastic manner, in a match that increased the difficulty of the United States team's position.
