US Soccer star Folarin Balogun has spoken out following the team’s disheartening World Cup exit after a 4-1 defeat to Belgium.
Before the match, Balogun found himself in the midst of media scrutiny when it was revealed that Donald Trump had allegedly contacted FIFA President Gianni Infantino to discuss Balogun’s red card situation.
Trump clarified that he merely requested Infantino to reassess the red card, not to overturn it.
Originally, Balogun faced exclusion from the last-16 game against Belgium due to a straight red card from a foul on Bosnia-Herzegovina’s Tarik Muharemovic.
However, in a surprising move, FIFA decided to defer the automatic one-match suspension for a year, sparking criticism from Uefa, the Belgian team, and England coach Thomas Tuchel.
Despite Balogun’s return to the lineup, the US team suffered a heavy 4-1 loss to Belgium. Belgian players appeared to mock Donald Trump by mimicking his famous dance both at the end of the match and in the locker room.
In spite of the defeat, Balogun stood out as one of the US team’s top performers throughout the tournament, playing a significant role in victories over Australia, Paraguay, and Bosnia-Herzegovina.
On Instagram, Balogun expressed: “My debut World Cup… it hurts to wait 4 years to compete at the highest level our sport has to offer.
“I want to say sorry to our fans it was not good enough when it mattered most and we let you down
“Soccer in America will only become bigger the belief, the talent, and the passion is continually growing and I know the best days are in front of us, the future belongs to those who never stop believing, this moment will fuel us.
“We will be back. Why not us? For the nation. For the flag.”
The Monaco forward will have some downtime to ponder over the tournament before returning to his club to prepare for the upcoming season.
Quarter-final – Match 97: France vs Morocco, kick-off 4pm – Los Angeles, US
Quarter-final – Match 98: Match 91 winners vs Match 92 winners, kick-off 3pm – Miami, US
Quarter-final – Match 99: Norway vs England, kick-off 5pm – Miami, US
Quarter-final – Match 100: Match 95 winners vs Match 96 winners, kick-off 9pm – Kansas City, US
Semi-final – Match 101: Match 97 winners vs Match 98 winners, kick-off 3pm – Arlington, US
Semi-final – Match 102: Match 99 winners vs Match 100 winners, kick-off 3pm – Atlanta, US
Third Place Playoff – Match 103: Match 101 losers vs Match 102 losers, kick-off 5pm – Miami, US
Final – Match 104: Match 101 winners vs Match 102 winners, kick-off 3pm – New Jersey, US