United States

Asked afterwards if he had been affected by being the focus of much of the attention in the build-up, US boss Pochettino said: "It didn't affect our performance. It's not an excuse. It wasn't our day.

"But in a personal way, what is the point to insult or receive a lot of bad messages?

"It's a rule for the federation to apply and to try [to overturn the ban]. My position was to train the team. If Balogun is available because Fifa allow for you to have the player, it's not a problem.

"I feel disappointed with too many people. They put politics and manipulation, talk about ethics and integrity [first]. If we talk about the history of this game, I am disappointed in a personal way."

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

US President Donald Trump speaking at the White House before the game on Monday: "He [Balogun] didn't do anything wrong. He's our best player, or one of our best players, and the referee gave him a red card. I didn't know what that meant. I didn't think it meant much.

"Then I started hearing that means he can't play in the next game - at least the next game. If it happened to another player that would have been unfair but when they take your best player or just about - they have some great players - and they say you can't play, that is very unfair."

"It's one thing to penalise somebody for the game, but how do you penalise them for a game that hasn't been played yet? It's very unfair, you can't do that."

Folarin Balogun's availability for the last-16 tie against Belgium dominated the build-up to the match.

The former Arsenal striker may have been at the centre of the debate, but he said he had already come to terms with missing the match following his sending off against Bosnia. "I accepted the decision when I was given the red card," said Balogun."Then I also accepted the decision when I could play. There’s not much else I can really say on the matter.

"I just congratulated Belgium. Similar to when I was given the red card, you have to handle it the right way."

Image source, Getty Images

US President Donald Trump suggested that Belgium fans wouldn't have enjoyed a win over USA had his nation played without Folarin Balogun.

In a White House briefing on Monday afternoon he said: "I will tell you this, the people in Belgium, if they win the game, they can be very proud.

"If they would win the game with a player missing it would be a different feeling."

USA manager Mauricio Pochettino decided to put Balogun in his starting eleven, but that didn't stop Belgium claiming a convincing win.

The Red Devils celebrated their progression to the quarter finals with a social media post which featured a photo of Romelu Lukaku celebrating his side's fourth goal with the caption, 'overturn this'.

Image source, Instagram

We want to hear from you about Fifa's decision to let Folarin Balogun play against Belgium.

Is it right that the ban was suspended, or did it compromise the integrity of the game?

And more importantly, did the move backfire on the United States given their World Cup exit?

Send your comments in by clicking 'Get Involved' at the top of this page.

We will share a selection of your thoughts throughout the morning.

Thanks.

Image source, Getty Images

• Folarin Balogun was shown a straight red card for a foul on Bosnia-Herzegovina defender Tarik Muharemovic as the co-hosts won their last-32 tie 2-0.
• Under Fifa rules, the striker was given an automatic one-match ban
• Fifa then suspended his one-game ban for a year, making him available to play in the round of 16 against Belgium.
• No reasoning behind the move was provided, beyond citing a rule which allows punishments to be suspended.
• US President Donald Trump thanked Fifa for "reversing a great injustice" in a post on Truth Social.
• The Belgian FA said they were "astonished" by the decision.
• Uefa strongly criticised the move. In a statement, it said: "We express our disbelief at such an unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable decision."
• Speaking at the White House on Monday before USA v Belgium, Trump said that he had asked Fifa to review the "very unfair" red card.
• Balogun, who is joint top scorer for USA with three goals at the tournament, started against Belgium and was substituted off in the 92nd minute before his nation's exit was confirmed with the game ending 4-1 to Belgium.

Jeremiah White
Former USA winger speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast

We were beaten by a better team. We were out coached, out classed.

Belgium seems to be peaking at the right time.

The moment got to the players. All the extracurricular activity around the red card and how that was treated – that created a lot of noise for the players and they carried it on the field for sure.

The reality is we went in, we were positive that the nation really needed this, and the lights got a little bright. We were against a team who could control every aspect of the game.

We had possession where we they wanted us to have possession.

I wasn’t certain we’d to beat Belgium but I wanted the score to be closer to avoid the humiliation. Just to keep the nation positive and wanting more for this team.

Image source, Getty Images

Tim Vickery
South American football expert on BBC Radio 5 Live

I think Mauricio Pochettino got it wrong.

I think the right thing to do would have been to leave Folarin Balogun on the bench, not only because it is the right thing to do from a moral point of view, but it's also the right thing to do from the view of coaching his team.

You would diffuse the whole issue.

United States

Image source, Getty Images

United States boss Mauricio Pochettino speaking at full time: "Everyone saw from the beginning that we did not connect with the game. We were never in the game. Even when we scored, we scored the goal for 1-1, we conceded in the next action. It was really tough from the beginning.

"Congratulations to Belgium, they were better than us. It wasn't our day. It's not to find excuses or not to find arguments because we didn't show normally the team can show and that is the reality.

"We need to learn. It is a process to learn and assess the game and understand why we did not approach the game in the same way as the rest of the World Cup. Different reasons, maybe the explanation is so easy, it wasn't our day collectively or individually. The principal person responsible is myself. We need to assess and see, it was not the performance or way we normally play."

Gary Rose
BBC Sport journalist at Los Angeles Stadium

Poor defending was largely at fault for the USA's heavy defeat.

Charles De Ketelaere was not picked up in the box to tap in the opener, and then was allowed to get the better of two defenders to head in his side's second just moments after the USA had equalised.

But the most calamitous goal was the third.

De Ketelaere tackled hesitant US keeper Matt Freese, who had come out of his area to try and deal with the ball, and Hans Vanaken side-footed the ball into the bottom corner from outside the penalty area.

That gave the Belgians a 3-1 lead and sapped the confidence out of the US fans, who started to leave in the final 10 minutes before Romelu Lukaku's injury-time strike prompted many more to head home.

"There was no willingness to go for the ball," said one disappointed US supporter afterwards.

"There was nothing there. There was no drive, football wasn't alive today."

Another added: "The US had unforced errors all over. They didn't play their best game but Belgium played the way they needed to win that game. To silence the crowd like they did, they put themselves in a great spot to win."

Clinton Morrison
Former Republic of Ireland striker on BBC Radio 5 Live

USA weren't good enough. Belgium showed their class.

Rudi Garcia made some big calls not starting Kevin de Bruyne, Jeremy Doku and Romelu Lukaku, but it worked.

Image source, Getty Images

Matt Upson
Former England defender on BBC Radio 5 Live

Belgium started brilliantly applying pressure, and there was a feeling that the USA's day wasn't going to go well.

It was encouraging signs from Belgium, the way that they went about this game, in particular the midfield three had a strong game.

They are going to need to be good against what is a brilliant Spanish midfield.

Image source, Getty Images

Joe Rindl
BBC Sport

Charles de Ketelaere scored twice for Belgium as the United States became the third and final co-host to be knocked out of the World Cup.

It was a largely lethargic display by the US who had star striker Folarin Balogun in their starting line-up after President Donald Trump had asked Fifa to review his ban following his red card in the previous round.

Fifa responded by suspending the automatic one-match ban for 12 months but their leading scorer at the tournament, with three goals, was largely isolated as Belgium dominated the game.

They took the lead in the ninth minute when Nicolas Raskin's pass across the face of goal was tapped in by De Ketlaere.

The home side levelled in the 31st minute when Malik Tillman's free-kick took a wicked deflection off Belgium's Hans Vanaken.

But the European side restored their lead two minutes later when De Ketelaere headed in Leandro Trossard's cross.

In the second half they were gifted a third when De Ketelaere tackled hesitant US keeper Matt Freese and Vanaken side-footed the ball into the bottom corner from outside the penalty area.

And in the 93rd minute substitute Romelu Lukaku slotted in Belgium's fourth with a low shot into the far corner from a tight angle.

It means it will be Belgium will face Spain in the last eight in Los Angeles on Friday (20:00 BST) after the European champions beat Portugal 1-0 on Monday.

Image source, Getty Images

In the event, another attacker had much more of a say than Balogun.

It was a memorable night for Atalanta forward Charles de Ketelaere, who scored his first World Cup goal before becoming the first Belgian player to contribute three in a single match at a major tournament.

Joe Rindl
BBC Sport

Image source, Getty Images

Belgium midfielder Nicolas Raskin said his team felt a "sense of injustice" over United States striker Folarin Balogun's one-match ban being suspended by Fifa shortly before their World Cup last-16 match.

Balogun, 25, appeared certain to miss the tie in Seattle after being shown a straight red card for a foul on Bosnia-Herzegovina defender Tarik Muharemovic in the previous round.

But on Sunday Fifa suspended the automatic one-match ban for 12 months, leading to widespread criticism, with Uefa, Belgium and England boss Thomas Tuchel among those speaking out against the ruling.

On Monday US President Donald Trump said he asked Fifa to review Balogun's ban, which he said would have left a "big stain" on the tournament.

But, despite the American's star striker being cleared to play and starting the match, Belgium convincingly beat the tournament co-hosts 4-1.

"A lot has happened off the pitch over the last two days,"said Belgium and Rangers midfielder Raskin.

"There was a sense of injustice within the squad, and we were determined to respond on the field."

Belgium captain Youri Tielemans insisted the affair had boosted his side.

"We told ourselves we had to respond on the pitch. That's what we did," he said.

After Belgium scored their fourth goal several of their players were pictured dancing in a style similar to the 'Trump dance' - where he rocks his hips and slowly pumps his arms - which gained notoriety during the 2024 US presidential campaign.

The official Instagram account for the Belgium national team also appeared to mock the debacle, posting a picture of striker Romelu Lukaku cupping his ear with the caption "overturn this".

Let's kick off with USA v Belgium.

There were a lot of eyes on this one, and not for the right reasons...