Rusty Weiss
Folarin Balogun is finally opening up about one of the strangest episodes of the 2026 World Cup. He says the sudden reversal of his red-card suspension threw the entire USMNT camp into a spin and created real tension in the days leading up to their Round of 16 match.
It sounds a whole lot like someone fishing for excuses.
The Arsenal striker was originally sent off in the Round of 32 against Bosnia and Herzegovina for a controversial challenge. FIFA’s surprise decision to suspend his one-game ban — widely linked to a call from President Donald Trump to FIFA president Gianni Infantino — allegedly left the American squad scrambling just before their Round of 16 clash with Belgium.
“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, and I could almost see within my teammates a bit of nerves, because it is something that is so unique,” he said in an interview with CBS.
The timing couldn’t have been worse. The team learned of the reversal while on the bus to training, sparking chaotic celebrations followed by unease as they picked up on the backlash taking shape.
Folarin Balogun on Donald Trump’s intervention in getting his World Cup ban suspended on @CBSMornings: “I knew it was gonna cause a lot of controversy. I could almost see within my teammates a bit of nerves… I tried to just focus as best as I could, but it was difficult with a… pic.twitter.com/ZHzYD7Z6u4
— Melissa Reddy (@MelissaReddy_) July 14, 2026
‘A Lot of Outside Noise’
Balogun admitted the whirlwind of media attention and external pressure made it difficult to stay focused.
“The closer we got to the game, I tried to just focus as best as I could, but it was difficult,” he continued. “A lot of outside noise, and that’s hard to avoid.”
He described the entire situation as confusing. If not emotionally draining. The squad had already mentally prepared to play without him, only to suddenly rearrange everything hours before kickoff.
Lingering Questions After Dramatic Reversal
Let’s be real: a lot of people are going to blame this “outside noise” on the President’s involvement. But the real noise came from the usual online suspects, who instantly turned against Team USA the moment they thought the president had helped them.
Still, the football star explained it was an emotional rollercoaster.
“Everybody was screaming and shouting,” Balogun recalled about the moment the news broke on the team bus. The squad had already been preparing without him, only to suddenly readjust their lineup and mindset hours before kickoff.
Yeah, I’m not so sure that “outside noise” caused your goalie to pull a Younghoe Koo at a critical juncture in the game.
Not a soccer guy, but this is a completely brain dead play by the USA goalie, right? pic.twitter.com/U294W75epw
— Caleb Czarnik (@calebczarnik) July 7, 2026
Despite the late boost of having their leading scorer available, the United States fell 4-1 to Belgium, crashing out of the tournament. Balogun insisted the team maintained “full concentration” once the initial shock wore off, but he acknowledged the unusual circumstances were far from ideal.
Belgium was knocked out by Spain in the quarterfinals, and Spain went on to defeat France 2-0 to reach the World Cup final.
