News, goals, and analysis – only on the official A BOLA app. World Cup In Seattle, Belgium dominated the United States national team, inflicting a resounding 4-1 defeat on their way to the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup. The match had a special significance, given that, a day before the game, FIFA decided to lift the suspension of American Folarin Balogun. The American forward was thus available and played from the first minute, but ended up having a discreet performance. Garcia explained how he prepared for the match, which was naturally tense due to being against a host nation, especially after the protests regarding the availability of the American forward, who was amnestied after the red card received against Bosnia. ‘I told them that the most important thing was us, our team, trying to impose our principles of play, whether in attack or defense,’ he explained. When asked if he used the scandal to further motivate his players, Garcia replied that ‘it was not necessary’: ‘No, it was not necessary. Regardless of the United States’ starting eleven, what really mattered to us was our game plan. We wanted to take control of the match. The United States team is dynamic, very intense, and I want to congratulate them. They had an excellent World Cup, regardless of this last game. Regarding American football, the national team left an excellent image before the world. Their coach (Mauricio Pochettino) is excellent, so I was not surprised by the level they presented throughout this tournament. We wanted to take control of the match, avoid pressure, and play higher up the pitch.’ Still on this subject, it was evident that Balogun approached him after the game, and Rudi Garcia explained what they talked about: ‘He came to talk to me. I really appreciated this gesture. He is not to blame. He is not the one who should be condemned, and that is exactly what I told him. I really appreciate that he came to speak with me.’ Before the match, Garcia expressed his dismay at the fact that Balogun had been pardoned: ‘I didn’t know that in the World Cup, for FIFA, July 5 is actually April 1. It’s an April Fool’s joke. I’ve never seen anything like it! If I’m correct, it’s the first time in the entire history of the World Cup that something like this has happened.’
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