Rudi Garcia relishes the Belgian feat and salutes Balogun’s gesture
By OnzeActu · · 3 min read
Rudi Garcia expresses his satisfaction after Belgium's victory against the United States at the 2026 World Cup and salutes the respectful attitude of Folarin Balogun after the match. Garcia highlights the collective performance of the Red Devils and the efficiency of Romelu Lukaku, while highlighting the injury to Amadou Onana. Belgium now prepares to challenge Spain in the quarter-finals.
For this highly anticipated poster, one name was on everyone's lips before kick-off: Folarin Balogun. Initially suspended for the round of 16 after a FIFA sanction, the American striker finally saw his suspension lifted following the intervention of American President Joe Biden. This turnaround had sharpened the Belgian motivation, even if Garcia claims not to have needed additional stimulants.
After the victory, Garcia had a respectful exchange with Balogun, who came to greet him at the end of the match. “He came to me to talk. I told him that I appreciated his gesture and that he was a player that I really liked. Our defenders nevertheless did a remarkable job of neutralizing him,” explained the French technician.
Rudi Garcia also wanted to thank the Belgian supporters who followed the match despite the late hour. “It was 4 a.m. in Belgium, I thank everyone who got up to support us. I am very proud of my players, Belgium proved that it was a great football nation. We led the match from start to finish to obtain this superb result.”
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However, one cause for concern persists: the injury of midfielder Amadou Onana, affected during the match. “For him, we gave everything in the second half,” Garcia said, emphasizing the solidarity of the group.
Despite the crushing 5-2 friendly victory against these same Americans in March, Garcia explains that the context was totally different this time, the psychological pressure being present due to the controversies surrounding Balogun. Faithful to its game plan, Belgium was able to control the match and Romelu Lukaku, who entered the game, sealed qualification with the 1-4 goal.
Captain Youri Tielemans, for his part, estimated that recent affairs have strengthened the determination of the Belgians. "We wanted to put the United States under pressure from the start, to provoke their mistakes, which we managed to do. We played our football and it paid off."
Belgium will meet Spain on Friday at 9 p.m. for a quarter-final which promises to be explosive.