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United States striker Folarin Balogun said he was initially happy to return to the team against Belgium in their Round of 16 clash in the FIFA World Cup but soon realised his comeback would generate significant controversy after he recieved a suspension due to a red card. However, the defeat against Belgium ended the United States' campaign, making them the last of the tournament's three co-hosts to be eliminated after Canada and Mexico. Balogun's tournament ended amid controversy after FIFA suspended the one-match ban he had received following his red card in the United States' 2-0 Round of 32 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina, allowing him to feature against Belgium. The decision prompted a challenge from Belgium, but FIFA dismissed the protest and upheld Balogun's eligibility for the Round of 16 encounter.

Balogun on 'Outside Noise'

He admitted the outside noise was difficult to ignore and even affected the mood within the squad, but said he focused on the game as much as possible. Balogun stressed that the situation was beyond his control and ultimately gave him confidence. "My initial reaction was that I was happy to be back in the team, but when I kind of started to reflect, I knew it was going to cause a lot of controversy, and I could almost see within my teammates a bit of nerves, because it's something that is so unique. But the closer we got to the game, I tried to just focus as best as I could, but it was difficult. A lot of outside noise, and that's hard to avoid," Balogun said as per ESPN.

"It wasn't something I could change. It was just a situation that was unfortunate, which gave me confidence," Balogun added. (ANI)