* There was a sense of injustice within the squad, and we were determined to respond on the field
* We told ourselves we had to respond on the pitch. That’s what we did
Maravi Express
Belgium midfielder Nicolas Raskin said his team felt a “sense of injustice” over United States striker Folarin Balogun’s one-match ban being suspended by FIFA shortly before their World Cup last-16 match.
Balogun, 25, appeared certain to miss the tie in Seattle after being shown a straight red card for a foul on Bosnia-Herzegovina defender Tarik Muharemovic in the previous round.
The tackle that led to the straight red card
But on Sunday FIFA suspended the automatic one-match ban for 12 months, leading to widespread criticism, with UEFA, Belgium and England boss Thomas Tuchel among those speaking out against the ruling.
On Monday, US President Donald Trump said he asked FIFA to review Balogun’s ban, which he said would have left a “big stain” on the tournament — but, despite the American’s star striker being cleared to play and starting the match, Belgium convincingly beat the tournament co-hosts 4-1.
“A lot has happened off the pitch over the last two days,” said Belgium and Rangers midfielder Raskin. “There was a sense of injustice within the squad, and we were determined to respond on the field.”
Belgium captain Youri Tielemans insisted the affair had boosted his side: “We told ourselves we had to respond on the pitch. That’s what we did.”
Charles De Ketalaere scored twice and was first to take Belgium into the lead in the 9th minute with a simple tap-in, taking full advantage of a nervous start by the US to quickly deflate the partisan crowd.
Malik Tillman equalised in the 31st minute with a deflected free kick which wrong-footed Thibaut Courtois, but De Ketelaere restored Belgium’s lead little more than a minute later with a back-post header.
The hosts played with more authority after the break until a calamitous error from goalkeeper Matt Freese allowed substitute Hans Vanaken to score in the 57th minute, irreversibly shifting the momentum in a stunned Seattle Stadium.
Romelu Lukaku then added a fourth in added time to send US fans streaming for the exits — sending several of their players to dance in a style similar to the ‘Trump dance’ – where he rocks his hips and slowly pumps his arms — which gained notoriety during the 2024 US presidential campaign.
The official Instagram account for the Belgium national team also appeared to mock the debacle, posting a picture of striker Romelu Lukaku cupping his ear with the caption “overturn this”.
Belgium head coach Rudi Garcia told reporters that Balogun “came to talk” after the game: “I really liked that. It’s not his fault, he’s not the one to blame and that’s what I told him.”
Asked how the affair affected his team, Garcia said: “Regardless of the US starting line-up, what really mattered to us is our game plan. The group is very mature. I told them what matters the most is us.”
On Sunday, Trump said football’s world governing body “made the right decision”, adding it would have left a “big stain” on the tournament had the ban been implemented.
Speaking at the White House on Monday, Trump said he had asked FIFA to review the decision because he “didn’t think it was a foul”. While confirming he had spoken to FIFA president Gianni Infantino, he added that “all” he did was ask for a review and added he did not tell the Swiss he had to suspend Balogun’s ban.
“I think it [the suspension] would have left a big stain. I can’t tell them what to do. I don’t believe they made the decision; I believe it was the commission that made the decision. And it was the right decision.”
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Before the match the Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) had said it was “astonished” by the move to suspend Balogun’s ban and had told the United States Soccer Federation it “contests the eligibility” of Balogun playing in the tie.
The RBFA had appealed against the decision but a FIFA committee deemed Belgium were not an interested party as they were not involved in the original decision and were merely the United States’ next opponents.—Reporting by BBC Sport & SkySports News; editing by Maravi Express
Knockout stages results
Round of 32
* South Africa 0-1 Canada
* Jordan 1-3 Argentina
* Brazil 2-1 Japan
* Germany 1(3)-1(4) Paraguay
* Netherlands 1(2)-1(3) Morocco
* Côte d’Ivoire 1-2 Norway
* France 3-0 Sweden
* Mexico 2-0 Ecuador
* England 1-2 DR Congo
* Belgium 3-2 Senegal
* USA 2-0 Bosnia & Herzegovina
* Spain 3-0 Austria
* Portugal 2-1 Croatia
* Switzerland 2-0 Algeria
* Australia 1(2)-1(4) Egypt
* Argentina 3-2 Cape Verde
* Colombia 1-0 Ghana
Round of 16
Saturday
* Canada 0-3 Morocco
* Paraguay 0-1 France
Today
* Brazil 1-2 Norway
* Mexico 2-3 England
* Portugal 0-1 Spain
* USA 1-4 Belgium
Today
* Argentina v Egypt (18h00)
* Switzerland v Colombia (22h00)
Quarterfinals
July 9
* Morocco v France
* Belgium v Spain
July 10
* Norway v England
* Argentina/Egypt v Switzerland/Colombia
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