FIFA World Cup 2026: "Difficult to make comment" Coach Pochettino on Balogun row after USA's WC exit
Seattle, July 7
United States head coach Mauricio Pochettino dismissed suggestions that the controversy surrounding Folarin Balogun had any impact on his side's performance, saying Belgium deserved their victory after eliminating the hosts from the FIFA World Cup 2026, according to The Athletic.
Speaking at his post-match press conference following the USA's 4-1 defeat in the Round of 16, Pochettino said his team did not need to look for excuses and acknowledged that Belgium outplayed them on the day.
"It's difficult to make a comment. We were not good enough today, we don't need to find another excuse. It wasn't a situation that affected us in the group. All the team can have one day you don't perform. Today was this type of day. Belgium were better than us. That's it. It's very clear," Pochettino said, as quoted by The Athletic.
FIFA had earlier dismissed Belgium's challenge over the eligibility of Folarin Balogun after world football's governing body suspended the United States forward's one-match ban ahead of the FIFA World Cup Round of 16 clash between the two sides. Balogun was shown a red card in the 64th minute of the United States' 2-0 Round of 32 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Coming to the match, Belgium stormed into the quarter-finals of the FIFA World Cup 2026 with a commanding 4-1 victory over the hosts, the United States, at Seattle Stadium.
Charles De Ketelaere starred with a brace to earn the Player of the Match award, while Hans Vanaken scored his first-ever FIFA World Cup goal and substitute Romelu Lukaku added a stoppage-time strike, marking his third consecutive World Cup match with a goal.
Belgium dominated much of the contest despite the USA briefly equalising through Malik Tillman's deflected free-kick. A costly goalkeeping error by Matt Freese allowed Belgium to extend their lead before Lukaku sealed the emphatic win late on.
The defeat ended the United States' campaign, making them the last of the three co-host nations to exit the tournament after Canada and Mexico. Belgium will next face Spain in the quarter-finals on July 10 after the Spanish side knocked out Portugal in the Round of 16.
— ANI
Reader Comments
The Balogun controversy feels like a distraction America didn't need. FIFA suspending a red card ban mid-tournament seems odd - these decisions always cause chaos. Belgium punished a sloppy US defense. Lukaku scoring again at 33 shows his class. Frustrating exit for the co-hosts.
Pochettino handled this press conference with class. No blame game, just honest assessment. The goalkeeper error by Freese was costly - in big tournaments, these mistakes decide ties. Belgium's midfield with Vanaken controlled the game. Tough for USA but Spain vs Belgium quarter will be insane.
This is football, yaar. Hosts go out early - happened to South Africa 2010, Qatar 2022. USA had a decent run but 4-1 is a harsh reality check. Indian football fans know this pain from World Cup qualifying. The Balogun ban suspension was proper drama though - typical FIFA confusion.
As an American fan, this is disappointing but not surprising. Pochettino's comments are spot-on - we were simply outplayed. Balogun's controversy is a sideshow. Belgium's experience showed at key moments. Still proud of the team's run. Onwards to 2030 - hopefully more Indian voices in soccer soon!
Pochettino is one of the best managers for handling pressure. Reminds me of how our IPL coaches manage controversies - stay focused on performance. The US defense was all over the place, and Belgium's counter-attacks were lethal. Lukaku still scoring at this stage is remarkable.