Folarin Balogun is back. The USMNT striker had his red card from the Round of 32 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina overturned by FIFA on Sunday, and that decision has everyone talking. Including Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Speaking on Fox Sports, Ibrahimovic didn’t hold back. He said the original call was wrong from the start and that FIFA should have fixed it faster.
“What I want to say is I’m happy for the US. Obviously, it’s a different situation… first of all, you should not get a red card. Then they should have come quicker with this call, but I’m happy for the US team, because the US team has been amazing, but Balo has been super amazing, and with him is an extra force,” Ibrahimovic said.
The red card came in the 64th minute when Balogun went for a 50-50 ball against a Bosnian defender. The referee showed a straight red, and the debate kicked off instantly. Some said it was reckless. Others called it a soft call that never should have ended a player’s tournament. FIFA’s disciplinary panel ultimately agreed with the latter, wiping the suspension clean.
Pochettino Keeps It Focused on Belgium
USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino was asked about the reversal and sounded like a man who didn’t want to get dragged into the noise. Happy for the player, sure. But his eyes are on Monday night.
“Happy for him… but not too much time to enjoy it,” Pochettino said. “Because our thing is to prepare the game, and we know that tomorrow is going to be a massive challenge for us. Belgium is a hungry team, great players, great coach, and what we need to do is to be focusing in our game and be sure how we approach the game tomorrow and perform, that is what we need.”
He added that Balogun stayed locked in during training all week. “The most important thing is that he was connected during the week training and feeling part of the team.”
That matters. Because Belgium isn’t just any Round of 16 opponent. They’ve got quality all over the field and a chip on their shoulder after a few underwhelming tournaments. The USMNT will need everyone at full strength.
Balogun’s availability changes the calculus for Pochettino’s attack. The striker gives them a physical presence up top that Belgium’s defense will have to account for. Without him, the US would have been leaning on Josh Sargent or Ricardo Pepi in a do-or-die match. Now the coach has options.
As for the red card debate itself, it’ll probably keep rumbling on social media for a while. But the only thing that matters now is what happens on the field in Seattle. Balogun will be out there. Zlatan will be watching. And the USMNT gets its extra force back just in time.
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