Folarin Balogun Reflects on USMNT's 2026 World Cup Exit vs. Belgium, 'We Let You Down'

United States men's national team striker Folarin Balogun took a long view in the wake of the team's exit from the 2026 World Cup.

"My debut World Cup… it hurts to wait 4 years to compete at the highest level our sport has to offer," he posted Tuesday on social media. "I want to say sorry to our fans it was not good enough when it mattered most and we let you down."

Balogun went on to say that "I know the best days are in front of us" in terms of soccer's continued growth in the United States:

In a vacuum, losing to Belgium in the round of 16 isn't a result that should lead to existential conversations. The Belgians are eighth in the FIFA World Ranking, so the United States (16th) simply lost to a stronger squad.

The manner of the defeat was dispiriting, though. The US was somewhat fortunate to only give up four goals, and it registered just two shots on target at the other end of the pitch.

Then there was the controversy surrounding Balogun's inclusion.

Having received a red card in the round-of-32 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina, the AS Monaco forward was originally set to miss the fixture. FIFA suspended his one-match ban after U.S. Soccer and members of the Trump administration reportedly pursued legal means to have Balogun.

FIFA's ruling was met with widespread derision around the world, and the storyline overshadowed the actual match.

It's a safe bet the United States will qualify for the 2030 World Cup. The USMNT missed the cut in 2018, but the tournament's expansion to 48 teams provides for a wide margin for error in qualifying.

In another four years, the U.S. might at least be in a position where it can punch a ticket to the quarterfinals and make fans dream bigger.