Mauricio Pochettino regrets not being ‘more involved’ with Balogun decision

US men's national team head coach Mauricio Pochettino revealed he regrets not being more involved in the process that overturned striker Folarin Balogun's red card suspension during the World Cup. Balogun received a red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina, but his suspension was overturned ahead of the round-of-16 match against Belgium following lobbying from the US Soccer Federation and US president Donald Trump.

Speaking to broadcaster Andres Cantor, Pochettino stated that the resulting negativity shifted the team's energy ahead of their 4-1 loss to Belgium. FIFA president Gianni Infantino maintained the disciplinary committee acted independently, while Balogun later expressed discomfort over the widespread attention surrounding the controversial decision.