Balogun says FIFA’s suspension of his one‑match ban sparked “a lot of outside noise” ahead of the USA knockout clash.
Published On 15 Jul 2026
United States striker Folarin Balogun says he anticipated “a lot of controversy” after FIFA suspended his one‑game suspension at the World Cup following a request from President Donald Trump to review the case.
Balogun received a red card during the USA’s 2‑0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina in the round of 32 for stamping on the right ankle of Bosnia’s Tarik Muharemovic, which triggered an automatic one‑match suspension. FIFA then controversially placed that suspension on a one‑year probationary period, allowing Balogun to play in the subsequent match against Belgium. He spoke about the incident for the first time in a CBS Mornings interview on Tuesday.
“My initial reaction was I was happy to be back in the team. But when I kind of started to reflect, I knew it was going to cause a lot of controversy,” he said.
“I could almost see within my teammates a bit of nerves because it was something that’s so unique.”
As the team drew nearer to the Belgium game, he tried to focus as best he could, though he admitted the outside noise made it difficult to avoid.
The reversal of the red‑card ban after direct political intervention provoked a furore across the football world, with critics arguing it undermined tournament integrity and set a dangerous precedent.
Balogun learned of the reversal while on the team bus, describing the scene as intense: “We found out on the team bus. Everybody was like screaming and shouting. It was a pretty intense bus ride to the practice field.”
He said he managed to separate the emotion from his professional duties before the match, noting that the team’s professionalism helped him focus.
The USA eventually lost 1‑4 to Belgium, and Balogun struggled to influence the game despite having scored three goals earlier in the tournament.
