Balogun says overturned red card added pressure before US loss to Belgium

U.S. men’s national team forward Folarin Balogun told CBS Mornings that he anticipated the FIFA decision to overturn his red-card suspension would generate controversy and affect his teammates’ nerves before the round-of-16 match against Belgium. He said the reversal, announced a day before the game, was learned by the squad on a team bus and created a “pretty intense” atmosphere.

Balogun explained that the red card had been issued after he landed on the back of Bosnia and Herzegovina defender Tarik Muharemovic’s leg while contesting a lofted pass, though no foul was called on the field. He described the incident as “not even a tackle” and argued that an unintentional action should not merit a red card.

U.S. Soccer appealed the sanction to FIFA, which ultimately suspended the ban. The decision attracted further attention after President Donald Trump said he had asked FIFA president Gianni Infantino to review the case. Belgium coach Rudi Garcia said the Belgian federation’s appeal was “defending football in general,” and midfielder Youri Tielemans noted the Belgian players met to discuss the situation.

The United States were defeated 4-1 by Belgium, their second-worst round-of-16 loss in World Cup history. Balogun said the team managed to separate emotion from performance but acknowledged the result halted the momentum built earlier in the tournament.