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The United States Men’s National Team had all the momentum when Folarin Balogun’s red card from the round of 32 was suspended, giving him the opportunity to play in the round of 16; At least, that’s what American soccer fans thought.
The day before the USMNT’s round of 16 match against Belgium, which Balogun was originally supposed to miss due to a red card in the previous game, FIFA ruled that he would be eligible.
The ruling 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. However, Balogun remained active despite the call and strong reaction from Belgium.
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United States forward Folarin Balogun kicks the ball against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the round of 32 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. (David González)
It wasn’t a breakthrough, however, 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 initial reaction was that I was happy to be back on the team, but when I started to reflect, I knew it was going to cause a lot of controversy, and I could almost see my teammates a little bit nervous, because it’s something unique,” Balogun told CBS on Tuesday.
“The closer we got to the game, 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 entire situation was “confusing” as the team initially practiced without him. But the team discovered on the practice bus that Balogun would be active.
“Everyone was screaming and shouting,” Balogun said.
THE BELGIUM COACH PRAISES FOLARIN BALOGUN’S CLASSY GESTURE AFTER THE RED CARD CONTROVERSY: ‘I REALLY LIKED IT’
Folarin Balogun of the USA celebrates scoring his first goal during the 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 32 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 the loss.
“It’s more about being able to separate the emotion from the job at hand. We’re all professionals, so it’s not something that I think was very difficult to separate once we got over the initial announcement. You saw that it was a difficult game against Belgium and that can in a way overshadow whether we were focused or not. Being inside the camp and inside the preparation, I know that we had full concentration going into the game,” he said.
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 a foul,” Trump said. “And again, I’m good at these things. I didn’t think it was a foul. I thought it was two great athletes who ran into each other and got tangled up. It wasn’t a guy punching someone in the face or anything that was different.
Team USA forward Folarin Balogun celebrates scoring 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 to play, maybe the best, maybe one of the best on the team, I think it would have been a big stain. I passed it on. I didn’t tell him what to do. I don’t think he made the decision. I think it was a committee that made the decision, and they made the right decision because, number one, it wasn’t 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 match on Tuesday in Atlanta.
