U.S. striker Folarin Balogun will play in the 2026 World Cup round of 16 against Belgium on Monday after all. And he’s seemingly ready to play the role of the bad guy.
It appeared Balogun would not play vs. Belgium after he received a red card in the Americans’ 2-0 win over Bosnia-Herzegovina on Wednesday. A red card traditionally results in an automatic suspension for a team’s upcoming game (if it has one).
FIFA‘s disciplinary committee announced on Sunday that it has suspended the red card issued to Balogun, making him available to play against Belgium.
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The stunning decision sent shockwaves across the sports world, and prompted a clever response from Balogun.
He took to Instagram shortly after the decision was announced, posting an image of himself on the pitch with no caption. He then shared it on his story with a familiar tune in the background: Michael Jackson‘s hit track “Bad.”
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Balogun’s story only included the opening verse of the song. It concludes with the lyric, “Gonna hurt your mind,” potentially a message to Belgium, which expressed shock over the decision.
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Balogun has scored four goals in five games in this World Cup, as the U.S. is looking to reach the quarterfinals for the first time since 2002. The U.S. lost against Belgium at this stage of the World Cup in 2014.
However, that team didn’t have Balogun acting as enemy No. 1 for Belgium.
