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The American striker had the most controversial incident in the World Cup
Monaco and United States striker Folarin Balogun has broken his silence following the controversial incident at the 2026 World Cup finals in America, Canada and Mexico.
The International Football Federation (FIFA) decided to suspend the punishment imposed on Balogun for sending off in the 32nd match of the 2026 World Cup against Bosnia with a one-match suspension, so that he can participate in the final match in Belgium.
The decision caused a lot of controversy, especially after US President Donald Trump announced that he had contacted FIFA President Gianni Infantino to review the punishment.
Balogun told CBS about his dismissal. “It wasn’t even an obstacle and so I was completely shocked and it showed in my reaction. I could only accept the decision and try to be there to support my team.”
He added: “When it’s unintentional, it should never lead to a red card. It was just an unfortunate situation that put us under a lot of pressure.”
He answered about his reaction after the suspension of the penalty. “At first I was happy to return to the team, but when I started thinking about it, I knew it would cause a lot of controversy.”
“I could see a little tension between my teammates because it was a unique situation,” he added.
He concluded. “As we got closer to the match, I was trying to focus as much as possible, but with all this noise outside, it was difficult.”
Notably, Balogun did not contribute at all in the round of 16 match against Belgium and even left the game towards the end, losing 1-4 to the hosts and they were eliminated from the World Cup early.
