Following a 4-1 loss to Belgium in the round of 16 of the FIFA World Cup 2026, Folarin Balogun has disclosed that the USA lost to a better team.
The highly anticipated Round of 16 match in Seattle was preceded by immense off-field controversy. Recall that Balogun had received a red card in the previous match against Bosnia and Herzegovina, but his automatic one-match ban was shockingly suspended by FIFA following direct lobbying from U.S. President Donald Trump.
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The decision left the Royal Belgian Football Association and UEFA outraged, with many viewing it as political interference.
Despite the pre-match drama and the inclusion of Balogun in the starting lineup, the Belgian team proved dominant. Belgium decisively defeated the tournament co-hosts, advancing to the quarter-finals to face Spain.
After the game, Balogun expressed disappointment that the team did not elevate their performance against Belgium.
‘There’s not too much else I can really say on the matter. All that being said, Belgium were the better team today. They played much better than us.’
‘Today we didn’t give the crowd a lot to cheer for,’ Balogun said. ‘That’s the most disappointing thing, and that’s the part that hurts the most for me personally.
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‘We have to wait four years again to be in this position, which is hurtful… the feeling of disappointment is very difficult to put into words.
‘To not have the energy in a round-of-16 World Cup game, it’s difficult to explain. So I can only tell you my emotions which are disappointment and a lot of sadness.’
