Two senior members of the United States' World Cup staff were absent for the team's elimination match against Belgium after being quietly suspended by FIFA, it has emerged.
Team manager Sam Zapatka and security VP Frank Pannell were banned from being with the team for the round of 16 clash. FIFA announced the suspensions on its website without providing a specific reason, though reports indicate the incident leading to the suspensions occurred during the previous round against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
A spokesperson for U.S. Soccer directed inquiries to FIFA, which has not yet responded. The U.S. was defeated 4-1 by Belgium, concluding their World Cup campaign.
The team's final days in the tournament were overshadowed by controversy surrounding star player Folarin Balogun. The Monaco striker received a one-game suspension for a red card received against Bosnia and Herzegovina, an absence that would have kept him out of the Belgium match.
However, former President Donald Trump intervened, lobbying FIFA president Gianni Infantino to overturn the decision. Subsequently, FIFA announced it had suspended Balogun's one-game ban pending the conclusion of the World Cup. This ruling, which followed an appeal by Belgium that was ultimately unsuccessful, allowed Balogun to participate in the last-16 game.
In the match against Belgium, goals from Charles De Ketelaere, who scored twice, and Hans Vanaken, capitalizing on a goalkeeping error by Matt Freese, secured Belgium's victory. Romelu Lukaku added a fourth goal in stoppage time. Despite the loss, the broadcast of the game on Fox attracted nearly 37 million viewers at its peak, setting a new record for U.S. soccer viewership. This figure is expected to exceed 40 million when Spanish-language viewership from Telemundo is included.