Pochettino regrets absence from Balogun appeal process — SkimNews
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- Pochettino said he regrets not getting more involved in the appeal that converted Folarin Balogun's straight red card against Bosnia-Herzegovina into a one-match ban suspended for a year, adding that future such decisions should involve a much smaller group.
- FIFA president Gianni Infantino was accused of breaching political neutrality rules after U.S. President Donald Trump said he personally intervened on behalf of co-hosts the U.S. in the Balogun case.
- Balogun said the noise around the overturned suspension impacted him and his teammates, while Belgium players said it gave them added motivation before the round-of-16 match.
- The USMNT lost to Belgium 4-1 in the round of 16, ending their bid to reach the quarterfinals for the first time since 2002 after cruising through the group stage and dispatching Bosnia.
- Pochettino argued the Belgium match was played under different parameters because of the controversy, saying the energy — not tactics or selection — determined the outcome.
- Balogun is missing from the first U.S. squad since the World Cup, having made his Monaco season debut only last week after a failed transfer to Everton and a minor injury.
Why it matters: Pochettino's public acknowledgment that the controversy — not tactics — shaped the Belgium loss puts accountability on a U.S. Soccer process that entangled FIFA's president and the U.S. President in a competitive appeal outcome. His call for a smaller decision group signals structural reform as the USMNT builds toward the 2026 home World Cup.
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