Pochettino calls for tighter control of red-card appeals after Balogun case
The US coach says he regrets his limited role in the appeal decision, which he believes changed the team’s energy before its loss to Belgium.
US coach Mauricio Pochettino says he regrets not being more involved in the decision to appeal Folarin Balogun’s red card at the 2026 World Cup. He has called for a smaller group within US Soccer to handle decisions of that kind.
Balogun was sent off in the US’s round-of-32 win over Bosnia. FIFA’s disciplinary committee suspended his one-match ban for a year, making him eligible for the last-16 match against Belgium, which the US lost 4–1.
In an interview published by Al Jazeera, Pochettino said the controversy changed the team’s energy and the match was played “under different parameters”. His comments describe his view of the atmosphere; the available account does not establish that the appeal caused the defeat.
Pochettino said he did not think a different tactical approach or team selection would have changed the performance. He argued that appeal decisions should be managed internally by a much smaller group, with a sports perspective and common sense.
Belgium’s football federation has sought an explanation from FIFA for the decision and how comparable cases would be handled. It requested that the matter be discussed at the FIFA Council meeting scheduled for 15 October.
