United States striker Folarin Balogun has admitted he expected widespread controversy after FIFA controversially suspended his one-match ban during the FIFA World Cup, saying the decision created significant distractions ahead of his side's knockout clash against Belgium.
Speaking to CBS Mornings on Tuesday, Balogun reflected publicly for the first time on FIFA's decision to overturn his automatic suspension after he was sent off in the USA's 2-0 Round of 32 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina.
"My initial reaction was I was happy to be back in the team. But when I kind of started to reflect, I knew it was going to cause a lot of controversy," Balogun said.
"I could almost see within my teammates a bit of nerves because it was something that's so unique."
The Monaco forward said he tried to block out the growing debate surrounding the decision, but admitted it was difficult.
"The closer we got to the game, I tried to just focus as best as I could. But it was difficult — a lot of outside noise, and that's hard to avoid," he added.
Balogun had received a straight red card after stepping awkwardly on Bosnia defender Tarik Muharemovic's ankle during the Round of 32 match, triggering an automatic one-match suspension under FIFA regulations.
However, FIFA later suspended the ban for a one-year probationary period after United States President Donald Trump publicly urged FIFA President Gianni Infantino to review the incident.
The unprecedented move sparked widespread criticism from Belgium's football association, European football officials, former FIFA executives and several former players, who argued that political intervention had undermined the integrity of the tournament and set a troubling precedent.
Balogun said the uncertainty surrounding the decision created an emotional few days inside the US camp.
After initially preparing to miss the quarterfinal, he shifted into a supporting role during training before learning he had been cleared to play.
"We found out on the team bus. Everybody was screaming and shouting," he recalled.
"It was a pretty intense bus ride to the practice field."
Despite the media storm, Balogun said the squad remained focused on the task ahead.
"We're all professionals, so it's not something I think was too difficult to separate once we kind of got over the initial announcement that I'd be back in the team," he said.
Balogun started against Belgium but was unable to make a decisive impact as the United States suffered a 4-1 defeat, ending their World Cup campaign.
The 25-year-old nevertheless enjoyed an impressive tournament, finishing with three goals for the Americans.
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