Belgium Players Say Balogun Ban U-Turn Fueled World Cup Win Over USA
Belgium midfielder Nicolas Raskin revealed that the squad experienced a “sense of injustice” after FIFA initially suspended United States striker Folarin Balogun for one match, only to overturn the decision just before their World Cup last‑16 clash.
The automatic ban was lifted on Sunday, delaying the sanction for 12 months. The move drew criticism from UEFA, as well as from Belgium and England manager Thomas Tuchel. Later, US President Donald Trump confirmed he had personally asked FIFA to review the case.
Despite Balogun being cleared to play and starting for the hosts, Belgium cruised into the quarter‑finals with a convincing 4‑1 victory.
“A lot has happened off the pitch over the last two days,” said Raskin. “There was a sense of injustice within the squad, and we were determined to respond on the field.”
Belgium captain Youri Tielemans added that the controversy only strengthened the team’s resolve. “We told ourselves we had to respond on the pitch. That’s what we did,” he said.
The celebrations after the fourth goal carried a clear message. Several players performed a dance resembling the “Trump dance,” and the national team’s official Instagram account posted a picture of Romelu Lukaku cupping his ear with the caption, “overturn this.”
Head coach Rudi Garcia said Balogun approached him after the final whistle and praised the striker’s gesture. “I really liked that,” Garcia remarked. “It’s not his fault, he’s not the one to blame, and that’s what I told him.”
Garcia also insisted the off‑field drama never distracted his players from their objective. “Regardless of the US starting line‑up, what really mattered to us is our game plan,” he said. “The group is very mature. I told them what matters the most is us.”
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