United States forward Folarin Balogun says he expected controversy when Fifa postponed his one-match World Cup suspension and noticed his team-mates getting jittery as a result.
The 25-year-old had been sent off for serious foul play against Bosnia-Herzegovina in the last 32, which would normally trigger an automatic ban.
Instead, Fifa’s disciplinary panel deferred the suspension for a year, drawing widespread criticism—especially after reports that President Donald Trump and White House officials had lobbied the sport’s global governing body about the case.
Balogun, who scored three goals at the tournament, was cleared to start the USA’s last-16 defeat to Belgium—an outcome Uefa called without precedent and impossible to justify.
Speaking to CBS, he said that while he was initially happy to rejoin the lineup, he quickly realized the decision would spark backlash and could sense anxiety within the squad. As the match drew nearer, he tried to block out the noise, leaning on reassurance from team-mates, but acknowledged there was nothing he could change.
The ruling arrived two days before the USA’s 4-1 loss to Belgium.
Balogun learned on the team bus that he was eligible to play, prompting cheers among the group. Because an immediate suspension for a straight red is so common, he hadn’t featured in early training sessions.
He described the situation as confusing, saying he’d taken on more of a supportive role to lift spirits. After the news broke on the bus, the ride to practice became especially charged.