During the 2026 World Cup, FIFA made an unusual move when it overturned a suspension for United States star Folarin Balogun, allowing him to allow him to play in the Round of 16 match against Belgium. The move drew immediate criticism, especially after President Donald Trump confirmed calling FIFA President Gianni Infantino to request a review of the suspension.

The controversial decision quickly became a massive talking point amongst fans and the media and loomed large over the high-profile match and seemingly served as a distraction before the 4-1 loss. Now, Canada manager Jesse Marsch is addressing the incident, saying it is an example of “why everyone around the world hates America.”

Balogun was expected to miss the match against Belgium with an automatic suspension after receiving a red card in the previous match. However, in a highly unusual move, FIFA announced the day before the match that Balogun would be eligible to play after FIFA suspended his punishment.

FIFA’s decision to overturn Balogun’s suspension came as a highly unusual move that quickly sparked outrage throughout the sports world, especially after Trump confirmed that he called FIFA President Gianni Infantino to look into the matter, even resulting in some Americans throwing their support behind Belgium.

Trump and Infantino both downplayed the role the call had in the eventual decision.

“Yes, I regularly discuss matters related to the FIFA World Cup with the President of the United States, and on this matter, I did receive a call from President Donald Trump, just as I receive calls from heads of state, government officials, football stakeholders and business executives from around the world on many different issues,” Infantino wrote in a statement following criticism. “During our conversation, I explained that there was an ongoing legal process involving FIFA’s independent judicial bodies and that the case would be decided in due course by the competent bodies. That is how FIFA’s system works, and it is a principle that I will always uphold.”

“All I did, I asked for a review, cause I didn’t think it was a foul,” Trump said,  via Yahoo. “I didn’t tell them what to do, I can’t tell them what to do. … I think it was a committee that made the decision, and they made the right decision.”

However, according to a report from The Times’ Martyn Ziegler, the decision did not come from a committee, but one individual.

“There are 18 members of FIFA’s disciplinary committee but the unprecedented decision to lift Balogun’s automatic ban was taken by just one person – the chairman Mohammad Al Kamali of UAE. No one else was consulted,” Ziegler reported on Sunday.

UEFA, European soccer’s governing body which has long been at odds with FIFA, described the decision as “incomprehensible” and “crossed a red line.”

While the incident happened back in July, discourse about the controversial decision has lingered. Now, ahead of a friendly between the United States and Canada this week, Canada coach Jesse Marsch offered some rather candid thoughts on the incident.

Marsch, who is American himself, said that the decision would “never happen in any other country” and said it was an example of Americans believing the country deserves to be “treated differently.”

“As Americans, [we] have been inundated with propaganda since we were young,” Marsch said via The Guardian. “We’re the No. 1 country in the world, we deserve everything, No. 1 in every aspect of life — this is what we’ve been told. So, when things happen, and we don’t feel like we’re in control of it … we feel like we deserve to be treated differently because we’re Americans. That is one of the things that infuriates the rest of the world about Americans.”

Marsch went on to claim that “this is why everyone around the world hates America.”

“The U.S. had had a good World Cup, was doing well. All that switched in one moment,” Marsch said.

The United States, of course, went on to lose the round of 16 game against Belgium by a lopsided score of 4-1 as Belgium openly mocked Trump after the match.