Balogun says he knew red card suspension waiver would spark controversy

Folarin Balogun, the US striker whose red card suspension was controversially waived at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North and Central America, said he knew the decision would spark a major controversy.

Speaking to CBS Mornings on Tuesday, Balogun said he was initially just relieved to be back with the team after the suspension was lifted. "But when I thought about it again, I knew there was going to be enormous controversy," he said.

He added that he tried to refocus and prepare for the match, but the situation was so unprecedented that shutting out the external noise proved difficult.

Balogun had scored in the round of 32 against Bosnia and Herzegovina, helping the United States to a 2-0 victory and a place in the round of 16. In the same match, however, he was sent off following a video assistant referee review after stepping on the foot of defender Tariq Muharemovic.

Balogun said he was "completely shocked" by the red card. "An unintentional action should never be a red card. It wasn't even a tackle," he said.

Balogun had initially been ruled out of the round of 16 against Belgium. But after President Donald Trump called FIFA President Gianni Infantino, FIFA lifted the ban, allowing Balogun to play in a dramatic reversal.

Infantino acknowledged that Trump had called him but denied any connection between the call and the decision.

The process behind the ruling drew further scrutiny. The waiver was reportedly made unilaterally by FIFA disciplinary committee chair Mohammad Al-Kamali, without input from the other 17 committee members.

Amid the fairness controversy, Balogun started against Belgium, but the United States were eliminated after a 4-1 defeat. Balogun finished the tournament with three goals but failed to score against Belgium.

Asked whether the loss to Belgium was linked to the suspension waiver, Balogun shrugged off the suggestion. "From the outside, given the result, people might see it that way — but we completely separated our emotions from the game and gave everything we had," he said.