Thomas Meunier has spoken out about the controversial red card shown to Folarin Balogun, saying it turned rival nations into Belgium supporters during the last-16 win over the United States in Seattle (4-1).

Meunier on the mood in Seattle

The Sunderland full back, who has 83 caps and was playing his third World Cup, described the tournament's atmosphere as "the dark side of traditional football." He said other nations "wanted us to beat America, because of that situation," referring to Balogun's red card against Bosnia-Herzegovina shortly before the match.

That sending off came just before Belgium beat the United States 4-1 in the round of 16 under head coach Rudi Garcia. Meunier believes the incident shifted neutral support firmly behind Belgium that day, feeding an unusually hostile mood toward the Americans.

The Belgian federation keeps pushing

Two months on, the Royal Belgian Football Association still has no satisfactory explanation. "Two months after the events, our questions remain unanswered," said Pascale van Damme, the RBFA president, in comments carried by The Athletic.

The federation has announced it will no longer support Gianni Infantino and wants the Balogun decision discussed at the next FIFA Council meeting, scheduled for mid-October. The RBFA is demanding clarity on how the governing body handled the contentious call.

Focus shifts to Italy after quarter-final exit

Belgium, eliminated in the quarter-finals by Spain (2-1) on 10 July, still sit first in their World Cup run with 5 points from three games. Their recent form reads three wins, a draw and a defeat across their last five matches.

The squad played five of their six matches in the United States and one in Canada during the tournament. Fans can already check the Red Devils' next assignment on our fixtures page, with a trip to face Italy on 25 September.

Until then, the likely lineup can be tracked on the squad page, while the team's overall World Cup position sits on the standings page. Meunier, for his part, will need to keep proving his place despite his experience.