Belgium coach Rudi Garcia struck a conciliatory tone after his side’s 4-1 win over the United States, insisting that Folarin Balogun was not to blame for the controversy surrounding his eligibility and revealing that the American striker approached him personally after the final whistle.Balogun’s participation dominated the build-up to the 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 16 clash after FIFA suspended the implementation of his one-match ban, allowing him to face Belgium despite being sent off against Bosnia-Herzegovina. The decision has sparked widespread criticism across the football world, with the Belgian football federation questioning the move and several leading figures raising concerns about the precedent it has set.However, Garcia made it clear that his frustration was never directed at the player.“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 that he came to talk to me,” said Garcia, as quoted by The Athletic.
Belgium remain focused despite off-field noise
Garcia also rejected suggestions that Balogun’s controversy provided extra motivation for his players, stressing that Belgium’s focus remained solely on executing their tactical plan.“It wasn’t necessary or needed (in terms of motivation). What really mattered to us was our game plan. We wanted to be prominent; the US 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 showing in Seattle. Charles De Ketelaere played with a belt to earn the Player of the Match award, Hans Vanaken scored his maiden. FIFA World Cup goal and substitute Romelu Lukaku added a stoppage-time strike to seal a comprehensive victory.The Americans briefly broke through with Malik Tillman’s deflected free kick before defensive lapses and a costly mistake by goalkeeper Matt Freese allowed Belgium to pull away.
Praise for Belgium, concern for Onana
While celebrating qualification for the quarter-finals, Garcia also took time to thank the Belgian supporters who stayed up all night to watch the match.“I think it’s 4 o’clock in the evening in Belgium now. To everyone who got up in the middle of the night to support us, I want to say a huge thank you. They should be happy and proud of their players today. We have shown that Belgium is a great soccer nation. The players were outstanding and followed the game plan perfectly. We had control throughout the match. Once again, it was a real team effort,” Garcia said.The Belgian coach admitted there was a major concern despite the emphatic victory.“The only big disappointment, the only dark cloud on this night, is the injury of Amadou Onana. We owe it to him to continue in the second half, win the match and qualify for the quarter-finals,” he added.Belgium will meet Spain in the quarter-finals on July 10.
