Folarin Balogun spoke to Belgium coach in great display of postgame sportsmanship

From the moment Folarin Balogun was controversially shown a red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina, he handled the ordeal with class. That continued even after the U.S. men's national team's crushing defeat against Belgium.

>Balogun was supposed to be suspended for Monday's Round of 16 match in Seattle. But some closed-door shenanigans (and apparent political interference) had FIFA reinstating the USMNT striker the day before the match.

>The Belgian federation was furious with the decision, and no person complained more about it than Belgium coach Rudi Garcia.

>But instead of taking Garcia's remarks personally, Balogun sought out the coach after the match and shared a great moment of sportsmanship.

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Garcia spoke to reporters about the exchange after the match and said he appreciated that Balogun came over to him.

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Belgium head coach, Rudi Garcia, on his conversation with Folarin Balogun after the match:

"He came to talk to me. I really liked that. It is not his fault; he is not the one to blame -- that's what I told him. I really appreciate the intention that he came to see me. I… pic.twitter.com/F933UA7USE

— José Roberto Nuñez (@JoserNunez91) July 7, 2026Despite the rough loss, arguably no USMNT player had a better World Cup than Balogun. He scored three goals (and had two others disallowed) and carried himself in a way fans should be proud about.

>This article originally appeared on For The Win: Folarin Balogun spoke to Belgium coach in great display of postgame sportsmanship