Folarin Balogun addresses FIFA decision to lift red card suspension

U.S. soccer player Folarin Balogun said he understood the controversy surrounding FIFA's decision to lift his red card suspension, but it allowed him to focus on the team's match against Belgium. "I could almost see within my teammates a bit of nerves because it was something that's so unique," Balogun told "CBS Mornings" on Tuesday. "But the closer we got to the game, I tried to just focus as best as I could."

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I could almost see within my teammates a bit of nerves because it was something that's so unique. But the closer we got to the game, I tried to just focus as best as I could.

Balogun received a red card during the World Cup knockout stage match against Bosnia and Herzegovina, resulting in a suspension for the next game. He expressed shock and disagreement with the call, stating, "When something is not intentional … it should never be a red card." Despite being a player down for much of the second half, the U.S. men won that match 2-0.

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When something is not intentional … it should never be a red card.

President Trump had called FIFA's head to request a review of the call, which he believed was not a foul but an accidental collision. FIFA President Gianni Infantino confirmed the call but stated the FIFA Disciplinary Committee was already reviewing it, and Trump's call did not influence the decision. The lifting of Balogun's ban drew significant criticism.

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I asked for a review because I didn't think it was a foul. I thought it was two great athletes that crashed into each other and got entangled.

Balogun noted that his teammates offered him "a lot of reassurance" during the controversy. He was permitted to play against Belgium in the round of 16, a game the U.S. lost 4-1. Balogun asserted that the team was able to separate emotion from the task at hand, maintaining full concentration despite the preceding events.

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It wasn't something I could change. It was just a situation that was unfortunate, which gave me confidence.