Youri Tielemans said FIFA’s shock decision to reinstate Folarin Balogun after his red card helped fire Belgium to a 4‑1 World Cup win over the United States. The reversal followed an intervention by Donald Trump, who asked FIFA to review the suspension, prompting UEFA to claim the governing body had crossed a “red line.” The controversy ended with Belgium’s dominant knockout victory.

Tielemans, now at Manchester United, admitted the team was surprised by the U‑turn. “We were surprised by the decision to revert the red card and his suspension,” he said. “It did not really change anything other than the preparation… we just accepted our fate and tried to have a good game.”

His World Cup run, however, was cut short by a late injury that ruled him out of the quarter‑final against eventual champions Spain. The 29‑year‑old has been dealing with injury problems this season and is training with his new United teammates in Ireland, aiming for a preseason clash against Leeds United in Dublin.

He reflected on the packed schedule, noting the short gaps between matches after the Senegal game and the USA match, which left his body “switched off.” Tielemans added that he trusts his fitness and will alert the manager if something feels wrong.