Belgium players say Balogun saga drove them to beat the USA | OneFootball

Belgium’s emphatic 4-1 victory over the United States this Monday (6), in the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, was marked by the episode involving the overturning of a red card for a U.S. player following a request from Donald Trump.

And players from the European national team admitted that the decision to clear forward Folarin Balogun — who should have served a suspension after being sent off against Bosnia — ended up motivating the Belgians on the pitch.

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For midfielder Youri Tielemans, one of Belgium’s standout performers at this World Cup, the “Balogun Case” was the spark behind the team’s attitude from the opening whistle.

"I’m not going to hide it: we had a meeting when we got the news [of his clearance], and we said we would have to respond on the pitch. We really had a lot of anger and a great desire to start the match well, something we had been lacking at the start of the tournament," Tielemans told AFP.

Defensive midfielder Nicolas Raskin echoed his teammate’s feelings, criticizing the weight of events off the pitch in the buildup to the decisive clash.

"There was a feeling of injustice in the group, and we really wanted to respond on the pitch," Raskin summed up.

On the eve of the match, Belgium coach Rudi Garcia had already mocked FIFA’s stance, but after qualification, he downplayed the impact of the episode on the final result.

"There were 11 U.S. players on the other side, and it didn’t matter who was on the field. [...] The win was the result of our game plan," he said.

Garcia also had a moment of empathy when he was photographed consoling Balogun after the elimination of the U.S. national team.

Speaking to The New York Times, the coach explained that the initiative came from the striker himself.

"He came to speak to me, and I liked that. It’s not his fault, he doesn’t deserve to be blamed for anything. I told him that," Garcia said.

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Understand the controversy

The “Balogun Case” became one of the biggest controversies of this World Cup, mixing football and misinformation.

The sending-off

Balogun was shown a red card in the previous match against Bosnia.

Brazilian referee Raphael Claus handed out the punishment after being called by VAR to review the striker’s stamp.

Misinformation

Shortly after the match, false information began circulating in the U.S. media and on forums claiming that Raphael Claus had previously been investigated for match-fixing in Brazil.

Trump’s intervention

U.S. President Donald Trump then used the false allegations to question the integrity of the Brazilian referee.

"That referee is a little suspicious... He made a decision that nobody could believe," Trump said, admitting that he had called FIFA to demand a "review" of the incident, which he considered a normal collision.

FIFA’s decision

Balogun’s suspension was ultimately overturned by the disciplinary committee.

The organization’s president, Gianni Infantino, confirmed the phone conversation with Trump but defended the institution, saying that "FIFA’s judicial bodies act autonomously" and that their independence must be respected.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.

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