Rubio stated that he considers FIFA's decision to overturn Balogun's disqualification correct, noting that such moments should not be reviewed in slow motion but analyzed at normal speed.
Discussion at the State Department
These statements were made by Rubio during a meeting at the State Department with the Chilean Foreign Minister, Francisco Pérez. Although Rubio admitted that he is not a football expert, he noted that knowledgeable people in the field agree that Balogun 'didn't even look down' and 'didn't know where he was stepping' at the moment that led to the sending off.
Implications for the US National Team
The head of American diplomacy added that the victory of the Belgian national team would be 'tainted' if the United States loses one of its leading players. He argued his position by stating that 'if it is Belgium, why would it want to win the match knowing that this victory will be questioned because the best player of the opposing team did not play? It wants the other team to be in its best form so that its victory does not raise questions.'