U.S. star Folarin Balogun has addressed the national team’s painful World Cup elimination, issuing an apology to supporters in an emotional post on social media.
Balogun found himself at the center of the tournament’s drama last week after being sent off against Bosnia in the round of 32. His suspension was later overturned following a remarkable intervention by Donald Trump, clearing the way for him to feature against Belgium.
His return, however, could not prevent a heavy defeat in Seattle, where Belgium powered past the United States with a 4-1 victory to end the Americans’ World Cup campaign.
The performance prompted fierce criticism in the aftermath, and as reaction continued to pour in, Balogun shared his own message with fans on Instagram.
“My debut World Cup,” he wrote, posting a photo of himself celebrating his goal against Bosnia. “It hurts to wait 4 years to compete at the highest level our sport has to offer.
“I want to say sorry to our fans, it was not good enough when it mattered most and we let you down.
Folarin Balogun apologized to disappointed USMNT fans in a message shared on Instagram
“Soccer in America will only become bigger — the belief, the talent, and the passion is continually growing and I know the best days are in front of us. The future belongs to those who never stop believing, this moment will fuel us. We will be back.”
‘Why not us? For the nation. For the flag.’
The likes of Landon Donovan and Carli Lloyd have been among the harshest critics of the players in the wake of the Belgium loss, but Balogun was met with positivity in the comment section of his post.
One rallying cry came from another US soccer icon in Jozy Altidore, who wrote: ‘Why not us?’
Rebecca Lowe, meanwhile, who is FOX’s lead host for the tournament, told Balogun: ‘The best days are yet to come but these were still some GREAT days.’
For Balogun and his teammates, the tournament came to a crashing halt in the last-16, with 37 million watching on FOX when the third Belgium goal went in – the peak of the broadcast.
Balogun was sent off for this tackle against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Round of 32
Trump called FIFA chief Infantino to ask him to suspend the one-match ban. After a review process, the governing body did just that – clearing Balogun to play against the Belgians
The Monaco striker will now have some time out to reflect on the tournament before he returns to his club team to begin preparations for next season.
When he next joins up with the USA for international duty, he will have his one-match suspension to serve, after it was pushed back by FIFA and its president Gianni Infantino.
The wild situation sparked fury around the world, and began with the player being shown a red card shortly after scoring against Bosnia in LA last week.
Controversy then took over when Trump implored Infantino to review a red card that would’ve meant a suspension for Balogun.
FIFA went on to invoke the little-known Article 27 of their disciplinary code and suspended Balogun’s ban – allowing him to take part in the crucial fixture.
Moments after Sunday’s announcement, President Trump, who has become close friends with Infantino, wrote: ‘Thank you to Fifa for doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice! President DONALD J. TRUMP.’
White House sources confirmed to the Daily Mail that Trump took the extraordinary step of reaching out to Infantino, ahead of FIFA’s staggering decision to suspend the ban, before the President confirmed the news himself at a Monday press conference.
However, while Trump and millions of USA fans across the country celebrated the one-game ban suspension, the Belgian FA were left furious over the matter and launched an appeal to FIFA, shortly after the news was announced.
On Monday morning, they discovered the fate of that appeal after it was confirmed that the Belgian FA’s request had been rejected by FIFA.
The USMNT’s humiliating elimination from the World Cup took place before a record audience
In a statement, the Belgian FA said: ‘The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) has received the decision of the FIFA Appeal Committee, signed by its member Mr Salman Al-Ansari, which declares the RBFA’s case inadmissible and confirms the earlier decision allowing United States player Folarin Balogun to play.
‘To date, the RBFA has still not received any grounds for this decision, nor has it received the information it has been requesting since the start of this procedure id est a copy of the decision and the motivation declaring the player eligible as well as the referee’s report. Which is a breach of FIFA regulations.
They added that: ‘The RBFA has informed the United States Soccer Federation that it contests the eligibility of the player, should the player be listed on the referee’s team sheet. This leaves all further actions open.’
That fury fell on deaf ears though, with their appeal ultimately rejected to pave the way for Balogun to play against them.
