US striker Folarin Balogun has acknowledged that he expected significant controversy after FIFA suspended his one-match ban at the 2026 World Cup. Balogun was initially sent off during the United States' 2-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina in the round of 32. However, FIFA controversially suspended the ban for a one-year probationary period following a request from United States President Donald Trump to FIFA President Gianni Infantino to review the case.

Speaking for the first time about the incident in an interview with CBS Mornings on Tuesday, Balogun said, "But when I kind of started to reflect, I knew it was going to cause a lot of controversy."

The global football body announced the suspension of the red card after the presidential intervention, which led to considerable outside noise before the USA's knockout match. Meanwhile, Spain delivered a masterclass to beat France 2-0 and reach the World Cup final.

Sources