Although Folarin Balogun was initially ruled out for the USA’s Round of 16 clash against Belgium, FIFA controversially suspended his red card ban—a decision the striker felt ultimately backfired on his team.
According to Donald Trump, he personally reached out to FIFA President Gianni Infantino to advocate for overturning Balogun’s red card. Ultimately, the striker was reinstated and cleared to play, sparking intense outrage within the Belgian Football Association.
Despite Balogun starting against the Red Devils, the USMNT was thoroughly defeated and eliminated from the World Cup. Reflecting after the match, the striker, after apologizing to USA’s fans over the elimination, admitted that the controversy surrounding his presence on the pitch may have negatively impacted the team’s focus and performance.
“I could almost see within my teammates a bit of nerves because it was something that’s so unique,“ Balogun told CBS on Tuesday. “But the closer we got to the game, I tried to just focus as best as I could.”
Folarin Balogun #20 of the United States.
“When something is not intentional … it should never be a red card. So it was just an unfortunate situation and I think, you know, it put a lot more pressure on us than we needed. “
Belgium showed no mercy to the USMNT
Following FIFA’s decision to overturn Balogun’s suspension, the Belgian camp was left in complete disbelief. Several players voiced their frustration publicly before taking their answer directly to the pitch.
Belgium dominated the USMNT in a 4-1 victory and appeared determined to push the scoreline even higher. After the match, goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois went as far as claiming that Senegal had provided a tougher test, making no secret of his disgust over Balogun’s reinstatement.
While Belgium was eventually eliminated by Spain in the quarterfinals, supporters of the Red Devils viewed the statement victory over the USA as a massive point of pride—overcoming pre-match controversy to deliver a commanding performance on the pitch.
Balogun didn’t make an impact vs Belgium
Belgium complained vocally about Balogun’s reinstatement, given his strong 2026 World Cup campaign. However, the striker made virtually no impact during their Round of 16 clash against the Red Devils, who mocked the USMNT during the game.
Balogun played all 90 minutes without registering a single shot on target. He finished with a modest 6.3 rating on Sofascore, reflecting the heavy burden and scrutiny surrounding his high-profile reintegration.
