‘It’s not his fault’: Belgium coach Rudi Garcia defends Folarin Balogun after FIFA row ends with US exit

Folarin Balogun (20) from the United States leaves the field after losing to Belgium. (AP photo) Belgium head coach Rudi Garcia struck a conciliatory tone after his side’s 4-1 win over the United States, insisting that Folarin Balogun should not be blamed for the controversy surrounding his eligibility and revealing that the American forward approached him personally after the final whistle.Balogun’s participation dominated the build-up to the 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 16 match after FIFA suspended the implementation of his one-match ban, allowing him to face Belgium despite being sent off against Bosnia and Herzegovina. The decision sparked widespread criticism across the football world, with the Belgian FA questioning the move and several leading figures expressing concern at the precedent it set.However, Garcia made it clear that his frustration was never aimed at the players.“Balogun came to talk to me, I liked that. It’s not his fault, it’s not his fault. I told him that. I appreciate him coming to talk to me,” Garcia said, as quoted by The Athletic.

Belgium remain focused despite the noise off the pitch

Garcia also rejected suggestions that the Balogun dispute had given his players extra motivation, stressing that Belgium’s focus remained solely on executing their tactical plan.“It wasn’t needed or necessary (in terms of motivation). What really mattered to us was our game plan. We wanted to be prominent; the American team is dynamic and full of energy. We didn’t need Kevin (De Bruyne), we scored goals,” he said.Belgium backed up those words with a dominant display in Seattle. Charles De Ketelaere played with a brace to earn the Man of the Match award, Hans Vanaken scored his first World Cup goal and substitute Romelu Lukaku added a stoppage-time strike to seal a comprehensive victory.The Americans briefly equalized with Malik Tillman’s deflected free kick before defensive lapses, and a costly mistake by goalkeeper Matt Freese allowed Belgium to pull away.

Praise Belgium, worry about Onan

While celebrating qualifying for the quarter-finals, Garcia also took time to thank the Belgian fans who stayed up all night to watch the match.“I think it’s 4am in Belgium. I want to say a big thank you to everyone who got up in the middle of the night to support us. They should be happy and proud of their players today. We showed that Belgium is a great footballing nation. The players were excellent and followed the game plan perfectly. We were in control the whole game. It was a real team effort again,” said Garcia.The Belgian coach admitted that despite the emphatic victory, there was one big problem.“One big disappointment, the only dark cloud over tonight, is the injury to Amadou Onana. We owed it to him to go on in the second half, win the game and qualify for the quarter-finals,” he added.Belgium will now face Spain in the quarter-finals on July 10.