Following their 4-1 World Cup exit to Belgium, U.S. men's national team players and coach Mauricio Pochettino dismissed suggestions that the controversy surrounding Folarin Balogun's reversed suspension was a distraction. Pochettino stated the team simply "were not good enough" and "didn't perform."

Midfielder Tyler Adams echoed this sentiment, viewing Balogun's return as a positive. "If anything, it probably uplifted us in a sense," Adams commented. Captain Tim Ream was firm that the team has a strong track record of blocking out external noise, emphasizing their focus remained solely on game preparation.

Despite the assurances, Balogun, who had scored three goals in the preceding four matches, had a muted performance against Belgium. He struggled to impact the game offensively, a situation Adams attributed to a lack of opportunities for the entire team, not just Balogun.