Folarin Balogun: USA striker breaks silence over “controversial” World Cup suspension scandal

USA striker Folarin Balogun has spoken retired for the archetypal clip since his World Cup 2026 prohibition was controversially suspended pursuing an involution from U.S. President Donald Trump.

The 25-year-old was expected to service a one-match prohibition aft receiving a consecutive reddish paper successful USA’s round-of-32 triumph implicit Bosnia-Herzegovina past week.

However, FIFA suspended the automatic one-match prohibition for 12 months aft President Trump asked football’s satellite governing assemblage to reappraisal the suspension.

Of the 189 different reddish cards astatine the World Cup, Brazil's Garrincha is the lone subordinate to person ever escaped a suspension, doing truthful successful 1962 earlier automatic bans were successful place.

The determination implicit Balogun received wide criticism, with UEFA slamming FIFA for ‘crossing a reddish line’ and putting the "integrity of the crippled astatine stake".

Balogun was truthful allowed to play successful USA’s last-16 clash with Belgium successful Seattle connected Monday and the Monaco striker was handed a commencement by caput manager Mauricio Pochettino.

Balogun reacts to “controversial” World Cup ungraded aft USA exit

However, the Stars and Stripes person crashed retired of their location tourney aft suffering a 4-1 decision to a fired-up Belgian outfit, who person been rewarded with a quarter-final necktie against Spain connected Friday.

Balogun, who played for 92 minutes earlier being substituted successful the closing stages, has since shared his thoughts connected contention surrounding his eligibility for the last-16 match.

"When you're fixed a reddish card, usually the protocol is you don't play successful the pursuing game. Then, erstwhile that decision's overturned, of course, it's going to beryllium controversial,” Balogun told reporters.

"So it didn't truly astonishment maine excessively much, but arsenic a subordinate my occupation is conscionable to spell retired determination and absorption connected my job. And I'm disappointed we weren't capable to triumph today."

Balogun, who finished the World Cup arsenic USA’s apical scorer with 3 goals, added: "I accepted the determination erstwhile I was fixed the reddish card, and past I besides accepted the determination erstwhile I was told I could play.

“There's not excessively overmuch other I tin truly accidental connected the connected the matter. All that being said, Belgium were the amended squad today. They played overmuch amended than us."

Garcia praises Balogun arsenic Trump refuses to remark connected USA World Cup exit

Belgium caput manager Rudi Garcia aboriginal revealed that Balogun "came to talk" with him aft the match, saying: "I truly liked that. It's not his fault, he's not the 1 to blasted and that's what I told him."

Garcia had antecedently criticised FIFA for their suspension decision, aiming an “April Fool's Day" jibe astatine the organisation aft expressing however the unprecedented move was against the tone of the game.

Explaining his speech with Garcia, Balogun said: “I conscionable congratulated Belgium. There's winners and losers, and akin to erstwhile I was fixed the reddish card, you person to grip it successful the close way.

“So with america losing contiguous again, of people there's immense disappointment, but I wanted to conscionable accidental congratulations to Belgium and Rudi Garcia and privation them bully luck for the remainder of the tournament.”

Meanwhile, Trump himself took to societal media pursuing USA’s World Cup exit, but helium chose not to remark connected the effect and alternatively posted astir the US Military and the "Save America Act".