'We let you down' - Folarin Balogun says sorry to USMNT fans after dismal World Cup exit at hands of Belgium but vows they will bounce back

The dust is beginning to settle on a night of misery in Seattle, where the co-hosts were dismantled by a clinical Belgium side. Despite the controversy surrounding his eligibility, Balogun started the match but could not prevent the European giants from ending the American dream. Taking to social media, the forward expressed the deep pain of the exit and took responsibility for the performance.

"My debut World Cup," the striker began. "It hurts to wait 4 years to compete at the highest level our sport has to offer. I want to say sorry to our fans, it was not good enough when it mattered most and we let you down. Soccer in America will only become bigger - the belief, the talent, and the passion is continually growing and I know the best days are in front of us, the future belongs to those who never stop believing, this moment will fuel us. We will be back. Why not us? For the nation. For the flag."

Balogun's tournament will perhaps be best remembered for the circus that preceded the knockout clash. After being sent off for a challenge against Bosnia and Herzegovina, it appeared his World Cup was over. However, an extraordinary intervention involving Donald Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino saw the governing body unexpectedly suspended his one-match ban, a move that left the Belgian FA and the wider football world in total disbelief.

Reflecting on the noise, Balogun remained professional, stating after the game: "When you're given a red card, usually the protocol is you don't play in the following game. Then, when that decision's overturned, of course, it's going to be controversial. So it didn't really surprise me too much. But as a player my job is just to go out there and focus on my job. And I'm disappointed we weren't able to win today. I accepted the decision when I was given the red card, and then I also accepted the decision when I was told I could play. There's not too much else I can really say on the on the matter. All that being said, Belgium were the better team today. They played much better than us."

While pundits and fans have been split over the ethics of the decision to let him play, Belgium head coach Rudi Garcia was quick to defend the young attacker. The former Roma boss revealed that the player approached him after the full-time whistle to discuss the situation, showing a level of maturity that impressed the winning manager.

"Balogun came to talk to me, I liked that. It's not his fault, he's not the one to blame. I told him that. I appreciate he came to talk to me," Garcia said. The manager insisted that his side did not use the saga as extra motivation, adding that his team's focus was purely on the tactical execution required to overcome a "dynamic" USMNT side.

Balogun isn't the only member of Mauricio Pochettino’s squad feeling the weight of the exit. PSV star Sergino Dest also took to social media to share his heartbreak, echoing the sentiment that the team failed to meet the expectations of the home crowd.

Writing on X, the former Barcelona and AC Milan defender shared: "There’s no way to describe this feeling. We wanted so much more. We let ourselves down but we won’t let this define us. We dreamed of giving our country something special, and we came up short. To every fan who believed in us from day one, thank you. Your support never went unnoticed. We’ll carry this pain with us, learn from it and come back stronger than ever. This badge deserves nothing less."