Folarin Balogun was in all the headlines for the wrong reasons, which were not his fault, before the USA's clash against Belgium in the World Cup.06:10, 07 Jul 2026Updated 06:26, 07 Jul 2026Folarin Balogun has spoken out for the first time since his World Cup suspension was controversially suspended after President Donald Trump contacted FIFA. The USA star was expected to be banned for their last-16 defeat to Belgium, but his ban was suspended for a year, allowing him to feature.‌Trump's phone call with Gianni Infantino before the decision was made enraged many in football, resulting in many figures demanding Infantino's resignation. The Belgian FA were furious with the decision, while other managers like England boss Thomas Tuchel have also condemned the U-turn.‌Balogun was not able to prevent his country from being knocked out of the competition by a ruthless Belgian side. Nevertheless, after the game, he was still asked about the uncomfortable matter.‌Get the latest World Cup news straight to your inbox by signing up to our Make Football Great Again newsletter now!Speaking after the US lost 4-1 to the Belgians, he said: "When you're given a red card, usually the protocol is you don't play in the following game. Then, when that decision's overturned, of course, it's going to be controversial."So it didn't really surprise me too much. But as a player my job is just to go out there and focus on my job. And I'm disappointed we weren't able to win today."‌JOIN US ON FACEBOOK! Latest news, analysis and much more on Mirror Football's Facebook pageHe also added: "I accepted the decision when I was given the red card, and then I also accepted the decision when I was told I could play. There's not too much else I can really say on the on the matter. All that being said, Belgium were the better team today. They played much better than us."While the USA are no longer in the competition, there's a feeling this saga is only getting started. As a result of the decision, there are reports the FA are going to explore appealing the straight red card Jarell Quansah was given in England's 3-2 victory over Mexico.‌When the Balogun incident was put to Tuchel in his post-match press conference, he said: "Where does this start and where does this end now? Can we overturn it [Quansah's red card] or not overturn it? What's going on?"Where to draw the line is the question that I ask. I have no answer to that. Where does this end now? Do we appeal if a yellow card is not a yellow card. Do we think it is not a red card or who thinks it? Where does this start and where does this end?"Article continues belowFrance have also asked FIFA to rescind the yellow card which was handed to Michael Olise during their narrow 1-0 win over Paraguay. Olise was booked after a soft looking altercation with Matias Galarza, who threw himself to the floor after receiving little contact.England will face Norway in the quarter-finals on Saturday July 11. Victory against the Nordics will see the Three Lions face one of Argentina, Egypt, Switzerland or Colombia.There will be more to follow on this breaking news story and Mirror Sport will bring you the very latest updates, pictures and video as soon as possible.Please check back regularly for updates on this developing story.Follow us on Google News, Flipboard, Apple News, Twitter, Facebook or visit The Mirror homepage.