Donald Trump may have influenced the elimination of the United States
Folarin Balogun acknowledged that it was not easy to separate the controversy during the match against Belgium. Trump's hand conditioned them
The 2026 World Cup left one of the most surreal cases in the history of the World Cup. Donald Trump's request to FIFA to withdraw Folarin Balogun's red card was an event that ended up condemning them. The American forward revealed that he did influence the team.
It was clear that such a specific and unusual request was going to generate a lot of controversy. The United States team was at the center of criticism for the omission of Folarin Balogun's suspension and his inclusion in the starting lineup in the game against Belgium.
"I knew it was going to cause a lot of controversy. I could almost sense some nervousness in my teammates because it was something so unique. But the closer the game got, the more I tried to concentrate," Balogun said in an interview with CBS Mornings.
Folarin Balogun continues to defend his position that the red card in the duel against Bosnia and Herzegovina should not have been awarded. Balogun emphasizes that there was no intention to harm Tarik Muharemović. For the American forward, Brazilian Raphael Claus's decision was wrong.
"It was just an unfortunate situation and I think, you know, it put a lot more pressure on us than necessary. My teammates gave me a lot of support. It wasn't something I could change. It was just an unfortunate situation, which gave me confidence," he said.
FIFA's announcement of the omission of the suspension was a decision that conditioned the American team. It was not easy for the players to separate the repercussions of this context from the normal development of activities prior to the game against Belgium.
"I don't think it was too difficult to separate things once we got over the initial announcement of my return to the team. I think you definitely saw that it was a difficult game against Belgium, and that may influence whether we were focused or not. But... I know that we were totally focused before the game," he concluded.
This swampy context could also have motivated the Belgian team. The Europeans had not been playing very well in the World Cup, but against the United States they showed their best version in the 1-4 victory. In the celebrations of the Belgian team, some made gestures in reference to the American president and his direct influence on that commitment.