Folarin Balogun discusses red-card controversy affecting USMNT in World Cup
Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Jul 14, 2026, 5:51 PM
Last updated Jul 14, 2026
Folarin Balogun addressed the red-card controversy surrounding his participation in the 2026 World Cup during an interview. He described his actions against Bosnia and Herzegovina's Tarik Muharemović as accidental and not deserving of a red card. The decision to suspend his ban before the Round of 16 match against Belgium sparked significant debate, including political involvement from U.S. President Donald Trump. Balogun's team lost to Belgium 4-1 after a strong start to the tournament, raising concerns over the impact of the surrounding distractions on performance.
- •Balogun said his red card was accidental and not a tackle.
- •Political pressure influenced FIFA's decision to lift his suspension.
- •USMNT lost 4-1 to Belgium after three wins in the tournament.
- •Balogun scored three goals in the tournament prior to the loss.
- •Concerns over team concentration arose due to outside distractions.
- 11:54 PMYahoo Sports — Flo Balogun: "Outside noise" gave teammates "a bit of nerves" vs. Belgium
- 11:00 PMYahoo Sports — Folarin Balogun says his red card controversy 'didn't help' U.S. at World Cup
- 5:51 PMYahoo Sports — World Cup 2026: Folarin Balogun describes how red-card controversy affected USMNT: 'A lot of outside noise, and that's hard to avoid'
"It was obvious to anyone watching last Monday night's World Cup Round of 16 game between the U.S. and Belgium that the Folarin Balogun red-card suspension controversy helped one team — and hurt the other.
"Folarin Balogun says the firestorm over his World Cup red card 'didn't help' the U.S. men's national team but rejects it as an excuse for a 4-1 loss to Belgium in the round of 16.
"Balogun maintains that him stepping on the back of the leg of Bosnia and Herzegovina defender Tarik Muharemović in the Round of 32 was accidental: "It wasn’t even a tackle."
Sources
External links- Yahoo SportsJul 14, 2026, 11:54 PMFlo Balogun: "Outside noise" gave teammates "a bit of nerves" vs. Belgium
It was obvious to anyone watching last Monday night's World Cup Round of 16 game between the U.S. and Belgium that the Folarin Balogun red-card suspension controversy helped one team — and hurt the other.
- Yahoo SportsJul 14, 2026, 11:00 PMFolarin Balogun says his red card controversy 'didn't help' U.S. at World Cup
Folarin Balogun says the firestorm over his World Cup red card 'didn't help' the U.S. men's national team but rejects it as an excuse for a 4-1 loss to Belgium in the round of 16.
- Yahoo SportsJul 14, 2026, 5:51 PMWorld Cup 2026: Folarin Balogun describes how red-card controversy affected USMNT: 'A lot of outside noise, and that's hard to avoid'
Balogun maintains that him stepping on the back of the leg of Bosnia and Herzegovina defender Tarik Muharemović in the Round of 32 was accidental: "It wasn’t even a tackle."
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