Former U.S. Men's National Team player Landon Donovan stated that he was "disappointed" by the way the controversy surrounding Folarin Balogun's red card suspension in the World Cup escalated, particularly after involvement from President Donald Trump.
Balogun received a red card during a round of 32 match, which initially made him ineligible for the subsequent game. FIFA ultimately overturned the suspension, allowing him to play. While Trump claimed he contacted FIFA President Gianni Infantino to request a review, FIFA maintained that the decision was not influenced by the call.
"It had been a World Cup full of nonpartisanship — people just loving America, loving the flag and loving what they were watching. Then it became very messy, and nobody wanted to see that," Donovan told Fox News Digital. "It tainted what had been an incredible run."
Donovan believes the situation should never have resulted in a red card in the first place, but lamented that the subsequent controversy "got out of control." He expressed sympathy for Balogun and the team, suggesting the situation "motivated the Belgian team."
Balogun himself acknowledged the "outside noise" and "nerves" the situation created for the team. "The closer we got to the game, I tried to just focus as best as I could, but it was difficult," he said.
Despite the controversy, the U.S. team faced Belgium in the following match. Belgium ultimately won the game 4-1.
The International Olympic Committee recently stated it would not investigate Infantino concerning Trump's call about Balogun's red card. Trump had stated at the time that he asked for a review because he did not believe it was a foul, but denied telling Infantino what to do. He suggested a committee made the decision to allow Balogun to play, which he deemed correct because "you want to see a game with your best players."