USMNT Star Admits Folarin Balogun’s Suspension U-Turn Was a Mistake

On Aug 15, 2026

Folarin Balogun’s red-card suspension was arguably one of the most controversial moments in recent World Cup history.

Donald Trump’s decision to call FIFA president Gianni Infantino and suggest delaying the USMNT star’s immediate suspension led to major backlash from fans and soccer organizations.

The Norwegian Football Federation (NFF), led by president Lise Klaveness, was one of them. The federation announced plans to file a formal ethics complaint with FIFA over the decision.

Referee Raphael Claus shows Folarin Balogun a red card during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 match between USA and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Despite the fanfare around the USA hosting the tournament and the global praise for its organization, the incident left a bitter taste and sparked mixed opinions, even among U.S. soccer fans.

Now, weeks after the World Cup, a USMNT player has shared his thoughts on FIFA’s decision and admitted that it should not have happened.

Folarin Balogun’s Teammate Gives Opinion on World Cup Controversy

USMNT midfielder Malik Tillman, speaking to German newspaper Der Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger, gave his honest opinion on the controversy, saying the decision should not have been reversed.

“Balogun is an important player for us and for the team. In retrospect, however, such a thing must not happen.”

“A red card is a red card and should stand. I don’t know who had how much influence,” he said.

The Bayer Leverkusen midfielder also argued that there should not be discussions about whether a red card should be revoked once the decision has been made.

“However, when it comes to a red card decision, you should not enter into a discussion and change the decision.”

While the suspension controversy created plenty of debate, Tillman believes the World Cup as a whole had a positive impact on soccer in the United States.

The midfielder explained that hosting soccer’s biggest tournament helped change the way Americans view the sport and could encourage more young people to take up soccer in the future.

“Of course, every team says they want to win the tournament. But our biggest goal was to change the way we look at soccer in the United States and encourage younger generations to start playing soccer themselves,” he said.

“I think we’ve taken a big step in this. We can be proud of that.”

This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Aug 15, 2026, where it first appeared in the Soccer section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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