Card row fuels doubt for USA as Balogun speaks out

One week after the United States were eliminated from the 2026 FIFA World Cup, American forward Folarin Balogun broke his silence about a card row that destabilised the USA at the tournament. He said the incident created a psychological burden for the United States camp before the round‑of‑16 clash with Belgium. Balogun was sent off in the round of 32 against Bosnia and Herzegovina after a hard, unintentional foul, triggering an automatic suspension that was later overturned. The reversal came after U.S. President Donald Trump called FIFA President Gianni Infantino to request a review. Trump later denied that his intervention constituted political interference, but Balogun explained the call added extra pressure on the U.S. squad. The incident, he said, amplified nervousness among teammates ahead of the Belgium match.

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In an interview with CBS Mornings, the 25‑year‑old said, "I could sense some nervousness among my teammates because it was a very unusual situation. It put much more pressure on us than we needed," highlighting the impact of the external noise on preparation. He added, "As the game got closer, I tried to focus as best I could. But it was incredibly difficult — there was a lot of noise and distraction from the outside, and it’s hard to completely shut that out." He later remarked, "If something isn’t intentional, it should never be a red card. It was just an unfortunate play." FIFA justified the original suspension under Article 27 of its disciplinary code, converting it into a one‑year probation period. The Belgian football federation and UEFA expressed outrage at the timing of the reversal, calling it unfair to the Belgians, and the episode was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence.