Belgium thrashed USA 4-1 in World Cup round of 16, with players saying that the Folarin Balogun affair, being cleared by FIFA to play the match despite having received an automatic one-match suspension due to red card, motivated them to "respond on the field".
Trump calling FIFA President Gianni Infantino, and FIFA lifting the sanction, caused an uproar in the world of football, with Balogun, a 25-year-old striker who plays for Monaco, in the middle of the storm, having no fault of his own, other than making a reckless foul and paying the consequences, like many footballers do, some more often than others.
Rudi García, Belgian manager, praised Balogun because, according to reporter Peter Rutzler, after the match, and after suffering a horrible defeat, he approached and talked to him. "He came to talk to me. I really liked that", said García. "It's not his fault, he's not the one to blame, I told him that. I appreciate the intention of him speaking to me".
The foul against Bosnia that started the whole Balogun affair
Balogun made this tackle during USA's previous match against Bosnia and Herzegovina that was deemed dangerous, although despite stepping on Tarik Muharemović's ankle, he did not suffer any injury. For that, he received a straight red, being expelled from the match, receiving a one-match suspension (the one that was later suspended on probation for one year) and a USD 40,000 fine, with the US Soccer Federation being declared jointly liable for payment.
