Balogun flooded with support after apology as USA crash out of World Cup to Belgium

Folarin Balogun has been met with widespread public support after issuing an apology to American fans following the United States’ 4-1 World Cup round-of-16 defeat to Belgium at Lumen Field on Tuesday, a result that ended the co-hosts’ tournament.

The Monaco striker’s exit from the competition was preceded by days of controversy after FIFA suspended his one-match ban — earned for a straight red card during the USA’s round-of-32 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina — for a year, allowing him to feature against Belgium. The decision followed reported contact between the White House and FIFA president Gianni Infantino, with US President Donald Trump publicly praising the reversal as correcting an “injustice.”

The move drew fierce criticism from across the football world. Wayne Rooney called it “an absolute disgrace” and said Infantino “should be ashamed,” drawing a direct comparison to his own ban ahead of Euro 2012. “For this to be suspended — they either take the red card away, which is probably the right decision, and then he can play. But to suspend it for a year? It’s wrong in every way,” Rooney said. “If I’m USA’s opponent, I’d be absolutely fuming. If you’re an England player tonight or a Mexican player and you get a red card, do you expect to be playing the next game? Where does it stop?”

Despite the diplomatic intervention on his behalf, Balogun and the USA were unable to make an impact on the match, with Belgium running out comfortable 4-1 winners in Seattle to advance to the quarter-finals.

In the aftermath, the 25-year-old addressed supporters directly. “My debut World Cup… It hurts to wait four years to compete at the highest level our sport has to offer,” he wrote. “I want to say sorry to our fans — it was not good enough when it mattered most and we let you down.”

The apology prompted a wave of supportive messages from fans, who largely directed their frustration at FIFA’s handling of the disciplinary process rather than at Balogun himself. The episode has nonetheless cast a shadow over the USA’s home tournament and raised broader questions about the integrity of FIFA’s disciplinary procedures when political pressure is applied.