Sport5 min(s) read
Published 16:31 14 Jul 2026 GMT
Folarin Balogun has admitted the controversy surrounding his overturned World Cup suspension created unwanted distractions for the United States ahead of their last-16 defeat to Belgium.
The 25-year-old striker found himself at the center of international headlines after FIFA suspended his automatic one-match ban just a day before the knockout fixture.
The decision came after Donald Trump reportedly urged FIFA president Gianni Infantino to review the punishment.
Balogun had originally been ruled out after receiving a straight red card during the USA's victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina.
However, following pressure from US Soccer officials and the White House, FIFA reversed course and allowed him to play against Belgium, a move that prompted accusations of corruption, political interference and preferential treatment.
Despite his return, the USMNT suffered a heavy 4-1 defeat to Belgium, ending their World Cup campaign.
Reflecting on the saga during an appearance on CBS Mornings, Balogun admitted he quickly realized the decision would have wider consequences.
"My initial reaction was that I was happy to be back in the team," he said. "But when I started to reflect, I knew it was going to cause a lot of controversy."
He added that the situation appeared to affect those around him.
"And I could almost see within my teammates a bit of nerves because it's something that is so unique. But the closer we got to the game, I tried to just focus as best as I could but it was difficult - a lot of outside noise and that's hard to avoid."
Balogun also described how confusing the days leading up to the match became after initially preparing to miss the game.
"It was confusing because the team was practicing without me in the team, I'm almost just playing a supporting role to keep morale high."
His comments follow remarks from Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House's World Cup Task Force, who recently acknowledged that the controversy may have affected the squad, despite arguing that he still "stands by" the decision to intervene.
Balogun was dismissed against Bosnia after colliding with defender Tarik Muharemovic, after landing on the back of the Bosnian player's leg before making contact with his ankle.
Looking back on the challenge, Balogun insisted he never believed it warranted a sending-off.
"It wasn't even a tackle so I was totally in shock," he said. "I think you could see my reaction but I just had to accept the decision and just try and be there for my team."
He added: "When something is not intentional, it should never be a red card - it was just an unfortunate situation and I think it put a lot more pressure on us than we needed."
The striker also revealed how his teammates rallied around him while the uncertainty unfolded.
"My teammates are like my brothers, so they gave me a lot of reassurance: it wasn't something I could change, it was just the situation that was unfortunate - which gave me confidence," he said.
He recalled the dramatic moment the squad discovered his suspension had been lifted.
"We found out on the team bus - everybody was screaming and shouting, it was a pretty intense bus ride to the practice field."
Despite the chaos, Balogun believes the players were able to refocus before facing Belgium.
"It's more [about] being able to separate the emotion from the job at hand - we're all professionals so it's not something I think was too difficult to be able to separate once we got over the initial announcement that I'd be back in the team."
He continued: "But you saw definitely it was a difficult game against Belgium and that can overshadow whether we were focused or not. But from me being inside the camp and inside the setup, I know we had full concentration going into the game."
Balogun finished as the USA's leading scorer at the tournament with three goals, making news of his reinstatement a considerable boost before the knockout clash.
However, following the defeat, he struggled to explain the team's performance.
"The feeling of disappointment is very difficult to put into words," he said.
"To not have the energy in a round-of-16 World Cup game, it's difficult to explain. So I can only tell you my emotions, which are disappointment and a lot of sadness."
At the time, captain Tim Ream dismissed suggestions the suspension saga had disrupted the squad, insisting it "had no impact" on preparations.
Balogun, however, hinted immediately after the loss that he would eventually speak publicly about the ordeal.
"The situation I've been involved in is also going to present different challenges," he said. "So it's just important, for me, to be able to gather my thoughts and then at the right time, I'm sure I'll be able to speak on the topic."
Now that the tournament is over, Balogun said he's enjoyed stepping away from what he described as the "tough, high-pressure" environment of the World Cup.
Still, he looks back fondly on the experience.
"It was amazing to be a part of it - I really felt we were able to unite the country," he said.
"That was an aspiration of mine and the team before we set out and I definitely felt that. You could see how many fans and how many young kids were captured by it."
