Pochettino calls – U.S. men’s national team coach Mauricio Pochettino praised FIFA’s decision to lift Folarin Balogun’s one-match suspension, saying the red card was an unfair punishment for a non-intentional incident in the World Cup. With Balogun eligible for the round of 16 a
SEATTLE — The moment Mauricio Pochettino walked into his Sunday news conference, the subject was unavoidable: Folarin Balogun would be allowed to play again in the round of 16 after FIFA lifted the suspension that followed his red card.
The U.S. coach didn’t sound relieved so much as insistent that the original decision had gone too far. He praised FIFA’s ruling as fair. while stressing that Balogun “should never have been shown the red card in the first place.” Pochettino also argued the U.S. had already absorbed enough punishment after being forced to play a man down for more than 30 minutes in a knockout game.
“We need to celebrate,” Pochettino said during the news conference on Sunday, July 5. “It’s fair, the decision, not to punish more us because I think it was enough. And now we focus on the game.”
Balogun’s case began in the round of 32 against Bosnia and Herzegovina. In the 64th minute, he scraped Tarik Muharemović’s calf before then stepping on his ankle. He was not initially called for a foul, but after a lengthy review he was shown a red card. As Pochettino noted. a red card carries an automatic ejection and suspension for the next match even if the foul is unintentional.
FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee announced Sunday, July 5, that it was suspending the suspension for a year. Pochettino linked that outcome to the idea that punishment could be handled differently when intent is not clear.
“This is a punishment that is too big for a team and for a non-intentional action,” he said. “I think 99.9% of people in football have said this is an unfair punishment. And there’s evidence from the past that make it possible to suspend a punishment and to fulfill it later on. So I don’t understand how people can be surprised.”.
Belgium, however, reacted sharply. The country’s team was “livid” about the lifting of the suspension and said it was “investigating all potential options.” Belgium coach Rudi Garcia, speaking before Pochettino, said he thought the decision was an April Fool’s joke.
Pochettino acknowledged Belgium’s anger, but said FIFA’s decision was righting a wrong. He argued that VAR—intended to correct clear mistakes—should not be used to intensify punishment by scrutinizing contact with excessive detail.
“While VAR was meant to correct obvious errors. he said. officials shouldn’t use it to review things with a microscopic. ” the U.S. coach explained. “Had the VAR officials not watched the collision between Balogun and Muharemović in slow motion and reviewed it multiple times. the American wouldn’t have gotten a red card.”.
“When you are in a box with three, four TVs and slow motion, you see things. … You make it bigger,” he said.
Pochettino also pointed to what he described as inconsistencies elsewhere in the tournament, saying there had been “several similar fouls at the World Cup that were not called at all.”
“Everyone that really loves the sport and trusts on its ethical integrity, we all celebrate that decision,” he said.
A separate strand of the controversy ran through American politics and FIFA’s leadership. U.S. Soccer had said it was “engaged with” the Disciplinary Committee, though Pochettino said he was not involved. He also said he was not aware that President Donald Trump had called FIFA president Gianni Infantino to try to intercede.
“I was so busy,” Pochettino said. “I didn’t have time to see social media.”
Pochettino said he learned on Sunday morning, before the team went to training, that Balogun would be available.
The U.S. coach framed the ruling not just as a sports decision, but as a question of what was damaged by the original call. He said he understood Belgium’s position—then pulled the focus back to the impact on the U.S.
“I do understand Belgium, I do understand Rudi’s position. … But I don’t think it’s the right thing to do now,” Pochettino said. “If there was one person that was damaged in this, and that was the United States.”
USMNT Mauricio Pochettino Folarin Balogun FIFA disciplinary committee VAR Belgium round of 16 World Cup Tarik Muharemović Gianni Infantino Donald Trump
So basically they’re like “oops” and let him play again? Red cards don’t matter now I guess.
I don’t get it, he stepped on an ankle right? That’s still a foul. If it was non-intentional then why was it red? Seems like FIFA flip flops.
Pochettino saying “should never have been shown the red card” like the team already paid for it… but they were down a man anyway so now he’s “celebrating”?? I’m confused because a review is what decided it in the first place. Maybe the ankle scrape wasn’t even serious or something.
Love when they call it unfair but the ref already made the call. Also “suspension for a year”?? I thought red cards always mean next game only, so now it’s like they got a technicality. Either way, round of 16 here we go I guess.