​Bruce Arena on Folarin Balogun’s red card and the USA vs. Belgium: A reflection from Getty Images. The U.S. men’s national team (USMNT) bowed out of the FIFA World Cup on Monday evening as Belgium’s relentless attack proved too much for the Americans to withstand. While there were a few questionable moments and missteps, Belgium largely appeared the more complete side throughout the match.
Despite the defeat, the USMNT captured the attention of fans across the country, and even for casual observers, Folarin “Flo” Balogun stood out with his exciting level of play. With the World Cup run now ended, Balogun took time to reflect in a heartfelt post about the journey.
Just a day after the 4-1 loss to Belgium, Balogun expressed gratitude for the team’s emergence on the global stage. He posted on social media, saying, “My debut World Cup… it hurts to wait four years to compete at the highest level our sport has to offer. I want to say sorry to our fans—it was not good enough when it mattered most and we let you down.” He added, “Soccer in America will only become bigger the belief, the talent, and the passion is continually growing and I know the best days are in front of us, the future belongs to those who never stop believing; this moment will fuel us. We will be back. Why not us? For the nation. For the flag.”
If there is one major takeaway from the World Cup for the Americans, it’s that they now have an international star in Balogun. Flo Balogun captured national attention with his performance in his World Cup debut, even amid controversy surrounding a red card he received in the Round of 32 clash against Bosnia. The call sparked debate, and even drew attention from high levels of political discourse, as some sought to challenge the decision and advocate for Balogun to continue playing.
The journey was undeniably memorable for Balogun and his teammates, and many believe that American soccer’s growth will accelerate if the sport continues to garner buy-in from fans across the country—an expectation many hold will carry into the next FIFA World Cup.
Stay tuned for more updates as this story develops and as the USMNT looks ahead to future international opportunities.