Read 3 minutesUpdated: 15 July 2026 06:37 PM IST
As the 2026 FIFA World Cup draws to a close, the tournament will be remembered more for its controversies than genuine football action. With a litany of incidents deemed controversial, one that literally takes the cake is the USA striker’s vomiting. Folarin Balogun’s red card Ahead of the Round of 16 match against Belgium.
During the USA’s 2–0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Round of 32, the Monaco forward committed a foul on Bosnia defender Tarik Muharemović, for which he was sent off. Under normal circumstances, he could have been ruled out of the match against Belgium. But the participation of the President of the United States in it Donald Trump The lifting of the ban by the FIFA committee was a big help for him.
“My initial reaction was that I was happy to be back in the team, but when I started thinking about it, I knew that it was going to cause a lot of controversy and I could almost see some nerves among my teammates, because this thing is so unique,” Balogun told CBS about the incident.
Folarin Balogun for interfering in Donald Trump’s World Cup suspension @CBSMornings: “I knew this was going to cause a lot of controversy. I could almost see some nerves among my teammates… I tried to concentrate as best I could, but it was difficult… pic.twitter.com/ZHzYD7Z6u4
— Melissa Reddy (@MelissaReddy_) 14 July 2026
“But as we got closer to the game I tried to focus as best as I could, but it was difficult. A lot of outside noise, and it’s hard to avoid. I was in shock. It wasn’t even a tackle. I was in complete shock, I think you can see my reaction, but I just had to accept the decision and just try to be there for my team,” he added.
Due to this unprecedented incident, Balogun became the subject of controversy, with the Football Association of Belgium, UEFA as well as many former players and critics arguing that overturning the red card suspension due to direct political interference would undermine the integrity of the competition and damage its reputation.
Balogun eventually made no difference as Belgium beat the USA 4-1 and knocked the hosts out of the tournament.
Written by Madhav Sachdeva, intern at Online Sports Desk.