Balogun says teammates felt pressure from red card issue

Nigerian-American striker Folarin Balogun has revealed that the issue over his red card at the 2026 FIFA World Cup made his teammates nervous ahead of their round of 16 loss to Belgium, according to PUNCH Sports Extra.

Balogun received a red card during the Americans’ round of 32 match against Bosnia and Herzegovina for a challenge on Tarik Muharemovic. But FIFA’s disciplinary committee lifted the one-match ban, allowing him to play against Belgium.

This decision faced heavy backlash after United States President Donald Trump admitted that he personally contacted FIFA president Gianni Infantino to ensure Balogun could play in the match.

In an interview with CBS, Balogun shared that the reaction in the team was quick once the full impact of the situation became known.

"My initial reaction was I was happy to be back in the team, but when I kind of started to reflect, I knew it was going to cause a lot of controversy, and I could almost see within my teammates a bit of nerves, because it is something that is so unique," Balogun said.

He added that focusing before the game was tough due to the noise around the situation.

"The closer we got to the game I tried to just focus as best as I could, but it was difficult. A lot of outside noise, and that is hard to avoid," he explained.

Balogun insisted that his red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina was undeserved, stressing that the challenge was not intentional.

"I was in shock. It was not even a tackle. I was totally in shock. I think you could see my reaction, but I just had to accept the decision and just try to be there for my team. When something is not intentional it should never be a red card, so it was just an unfortunate situation, and I think it put a lot more pressure on us than we needed," he said.

The issue has moved beyond the game. Human rights group FairSquare has filed a formal complaint with the International Olympic Committee, claiming that Infantino broke rules about political neutrality.

Balogun acknowledged that his teammates helped him keep his focus despite the distractions. But this support did not help on the pitch, as the USMNT lost 4-1 to Belgium. The striker ended the tournament with three goals in four matches.