As we reported, there was a big controversy first regarding the giving of a red card to U.S. Men's National Team (USMNT) player Folarin Balogun and suspending him from playing in the next game against Belgium. Then, again, the suspension was then reversed by the FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association).
READ MORE: The Balogun Red Card Saga Gets Even Wilder As Trump and FIFA President Weigh In
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You even saw some on the Left freaking out over the news that President Donald Trump had spoken with the FIFA President Gianni Infantino to ask for a review. Some of them said they would be rooting for Belgium, which was just straight-up shameful.
I’m a U.S. citizen who will be rooting for Belgium tonight. Probably just me.
— Claude Taylor (@TrueFactsStated) July 6, 2026
Others claimed that if the U.S. won, the win would be tainted. Look at this ridiculous take from The New York Times' Nicholas Kristof. They couldn't just be happy that a wrong call was righted.
This will appear to the world as favoritism and as FIFA bowing to political influence. If the U.S. wins, I fear that much of the world will see it as a win with an asterisk and as Trump’s America making its own rules even in the sports world. https://t.co/GK7XLt6rnq
— Nicholas Kristof (@NickKristof) July 5, 2026
Now I don't know if all the hullabaloo distracted the team, but they definitely were having a tough night. They seemed out of it from the get-go. They did not do well. While they got one goal, they gave up too many mistakes; Belgium took advantage of those mistakes and turned them into goals.
The man in question, Folarin Balogun, started the game, but he wasn't a big factor.
Belgium got the first goal. Then the U.S. came back with the equalizer. But then, the Belgium team came back and scored another one.
These fans going through all the emotions in this one so far pic.twitter.com/unuDU2Klwm
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) July 7, 2026
Then the Belgian team got a third goal, which was the killer, and even tacked on a fourth.
Belgium finds a third pic.twitter.com/0m1Hu4qzwR
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) July 7, 2026
Belgium scores its fourth pic.twitter.com/Z1NuckvB6A
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) July 7, 2026
The U.S. manager, Mauricio Pochettino, spoke to the team after the match.
Mauricio Pochettino talks to his US team after the match pic.twitter.com/ZBU2xQqCl7
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) July 7, 2026
The manager perhaps said it best: it just wasn't their day, and they didn't approach the game as they normally would. He said they needed to look at how they did things, to work out what the issues might be.
USA manager Mauricio Pochettino caught up with our @JennyTaft after the match pic.twitter.com/aQ8OMo9x2p
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) July 7, 2026
A sad ending for the team that had been playing so well, but they still brought us a lot of joy and fun, and we thank them for it. Belgium now advances to face Spain in the quarterfinals. The World Cup will continue, likely with more great action, just no more from the U.S. team.
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