USMNT claims Balogun controversy had no impact on World Cup defeat
Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Jul 7, 2026, 5:03 AM
Last updated Jul 7, 2026
The US men's national team suffered a 4-1 loss to Belgium in the World Cup last-16 on July 6. Coach Mauricio Pochettino dismissed concerns that the political discussion surrounding Folarin Balogun's red-card suspension affected the team’s performance. Balogun, reinstated for the match after a reversal of his suspension, contributed minimally in the match but earned the free-kick leading to the US’s only goal. Pochettino expressed frustration over the politicization of the situation, insisting it did not influence the outcome against a stronger Belgian side.
- •USMNT loses 4-1 to Belgium in World Cup last-16 match
- •Folarin Balogun was controversially reinstated after red-card suspension
- •Pochettino claims outside discourse did not affect team performance
- •Balogun's only contribution was earning a free-kick for a goal
- •US team faces scrutiny after high-profile early exit
- 5:03 AMYahoo Sports — ‘It had no impact’: USMNT insist Balogun political circus did not affect World Cup exit
"The US had big problems in their last-16 defeat, but Mauricio Pochettino and his team said that the discourse around the red-card ban reversal wasn’t one of them
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