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United States national team striker Folarin Balogun stated this Friday that when he was told FIFA had lifted his red card suspension so he could play against Belgium, he thought it was a "joke" and found it "unreal."
"Two days before the match against Belgium, I was told that I was allowed to play again, and for me, it was unreal; at first, I thought it was a joke," Balogun expressed during a talk with LeBron James open to the public at Fanatics Fest in New York.
Trump llamó a Infantino por la polémica de Balogun... y esta fue la contundente respuesta de la FIFA
Fanatics Fest is a multi-day fair that brings together hundreds of celebrities from the world of sports and entertainment, mostly Americans, which this year is being held from July 16 to 19 at the Javits Center in New York and, coinciding with the World Cup final in the region, will host the pre-match press conferences of the finalists.
"When I got the red card, I was in shock; I think most of the people who were watching were too, but I had to accept it," he said.
Balogun, the U.S. team's top scorer in the World Cup with three goals, was sent off in the Round of 16 match against Bosnia and Herzegovina following a VAR intervention for committing a violent foul in which he struck Bosnian player Tarik Muharemovic's leg with his studs.
"Pochettino told me after that match 'be ready, just be ready,' but I just thought he was saying it for the sake of it, to help the team and keep morale high," said the Monaco forward.
"Then, I think it was two days before the match against Belgium, the news broke that I was allowed to play again," added Balogun.
The lifting of the one-match suspension for Balogun came after U.S. President Donald Trump called FIFA President Gianni Infantino to request that the governing body of football review the play because Trump felt "it wasn't even a foul." EFE
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