Takeaways from the U.S. men's nonaccomplishment to Belgium successful the World Cup
Folarin Balogun (20) is consoled by Belgium caput manager Rudi Garcia aft the United States' 4-1 nonaccomplishment to Belgium successful the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 connected Monday astatine Seattle Stadium successful Seattle. David Ramos/Getty Images hide caption
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David Ramos/Getty Images
The U.S. men's nationalist shot team's World Cup tally ended Monday with a 4-1 nonaccomplishment to Belgium. After the game, attraction returned to FIFA's arguable determination to fto U.S. striker Folarin Balogun play, adjacent though helium was handed a reddish paper during the July 1 lucifer against Bosnia-Herzegovina.
FIFA had delayed Balogun's suspension by a twelvemonth aft President Donald Trump called FIFA President Gianni Infantino to sermon the decision. During the telephone telephone with Infantino, Trump wanted to recognize the reasoning down the determination to springiness a reddish paper and a suspension, according to an authoritative with cognition of the telephone who was granted anonymity to sermon a backstage conversation. "Thank you to FIFA for doing what was right, and reversing a large injustice!" Trump wrote Sunday successful a station connected Truth Social.
"I person ne'er covered a communicative successful which a caput of authorities really inserted him oregon herself into the tract of play," sports columnist for USA Today Christine Brennan told Morning Edition connected Tuesday.
Brennan said it is unclear however overmuch the erstwhile 36 hours affected the U.S. team. U.S. skipper Tim Ream said the squad was not distracted. But the columnist said the team's show told a antithetic story, describing the Americans arsenic "ugly, sloppy, unfocused."
Brennan added the occurrence could acceptable a precedent for aboriginal planetary competitions, informing it opens a "slippery slope" arsenic the U.S. prepares to big the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Listen to the afloat unrecorded speech by clicking the play fastener above.
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