Folarin Balogun: 'I Had No Part in the Suspension Decision'

United States forward Folarin Balogun has broken his silence on the controversial FIFA Disciplinary Committee ruling that initially banned him — only to have the suspension temporarily lifted. The striker insisted he played no role in the process and only learned about the reversal from external sources. 'When the decision was overturned, it obviously stirred up debate. But I wasn’t involved in any of it, and it has nothing to do with me personally,' Balogun said. The situation unfolded ahead of the World Cup round-of-16 clash, where the U.S. fell 1-4 to Belgium. The original ban could have sidelined one of the team’s key attackers, but FIFA intervened, allowing Balogun to feature in the match.