USA star who had ban overturned makes Donald Trump admission after World Cup controversy

USA star who had ban overturned makes Donald Trump admission after World Cup controversy

Folarin Balogun has admitted the controversy surrounding the suspension of his World Cup ban created nerves inside the United States camp before their heavy last-16 defeat to Belgium. The USA striker found himself at the centre of one of the tournament's biggest talking points after FIFA suspended his automatic one-match ban following his red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina. The decision came after the White House publicly confirmed it had raised concerns over the incident with FIFA, prompting widespread debate over the governing body's handling of the case. Speaking to CBS Mornings, Balogun acknowledged the unprecedented situation had an impact on preparations. TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say "My initial reaction was that I was happy to be back in the team," he said. "But when I started to reflect, I knew it was going to cause a lot of controversy. "And I could almost see within my team-mates a bit of nerves because it's something that is so unique. "But the closer we got to the game, I tried to just focus as best as I could, but it was difficult. A lot of outside noise and that's hard to avoid." Balogun revealed the uncertainty also disrupted the team's preparations after they had initially trained without him. "It was confusing because the team was practising without me in the team," he said. "I'm almost just playing a supporting role to keep morale high." The Monaco forward was originally due to miss the Belgium clash after receiving a straight red card during the USA's group-stage victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina. LATEST SPORTS NEWS: Emma Raducanu suffers fresh blow after missing Wimbledon Fifa to break own rules for England and Argentina World Cup game Harry Kane breaks silence on Thomas Tuchel and Jude Bellingham row before England vs Argentina However, less than 24 hours before kick-off, FIFA announced his suspension had been put on hold, allowing him to feature. The decision sparked a significant backlash, with some questioning the cir