Team USA forward Folarin Balogun opened up for the first time about the firestorm surrounding his controversial red card at the 2026 World Cup — and the unprecedented intervention by President Donald Trump that reversed it.
The pressure nearly crushed him.
“My initial reaction was, you know, I was happy to be back with the team. But when I kind of started to reflect, I knew it was going to cause a lot of controversy,” Balogun told CBS Mornings on Tuesday. “I could almost see within my teammates a bit of nerves, because it’s something that’s so unique… I tried to just focus as best as I could, but it was difficult.”
“I think it put a lot more pressure on us than we needed.”
The United States Men’s National Team forward received a red card during the tournament. Following the ejection, Trump called FIFA President Gianni Infantino to voice his disagreement with the call. Infantino then suspended the red card after review — an extraordinary reversal that sent shockwaves through the soccer world.
Balogun said the global attention affected him mentally going into the Round of 16 match against Belgium.
“It didn’t help. As an athlete, you want to go into a game — it’s already difficult enough with everything that goes on — the pressure,” Balogun told the Today Show. “To have more pressure, not just internally, but from almost the whole footballing world. It was difficult.”
The controversy didn’t save Team USA. They fell 4-1 to Belgium after what had been an impressive tournament start. Many fans pointed to the intense scrutiny as a factor in the crushing loss.
Balogun pushed back on that narrative.
“It was a difficult game against Belgium, and that can kind of overshadow whether we were focused or not, but from me being inside the camp and inside the setup, I know we had full concentration going into the game,” he said.
In both morning show appearances, the USMNT forward also spoke about his excitement for the future of soccer in America. He called his decision to represent the United States a “no-brainer” because of the “culture, passion, and ambition.”
Balogun confirmed he’ll be back to represent America at the 2030 World Cup.
