Rangers midfielder Nicolas Raskin has revealed the controversy surrounding Folarin Balogun's eligibility provided extra motivation for Belgium as they cruised to a 4-1 victory over the United States in the World Cup last-16.
Balogun had initially been ruled out of the tie after receiving a straight red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina for a challenge on Tarik Muharemovic. However, FIFA later suspended the striker's one-match ban for 12 months, allowing him to feature against Belgium.
The decision sparked widespread debate in the build-up to the match, with reports claiming US President Donald Trump had contacted FIFA president Gianni Infantino to request that the incident be reviewed before the suspension was overturned.
Belgium ultimately made the controversy irrelevant on the pitch, producing an emphatic performance to book their place in the quarter-finals.
Speaking after the match, Raskin admitted the events leading up to kick-off had created a strong sense of determination within the Belgian camp.
The Rangers midfielder said the squad felt there had been an injustice in the days before the game and used that feeling as additional motivation, making it clear the players wanted to deliver their response where it mattered most — on the pitch.
Belgium captain Youri Tielemans echoed those sentiments, explaining the squad had spoken internally about answering the situation with their football, something they felt they achieved with a convincing victory.
Belgium send clear message after final whistle
The fallout continued after the match as several Belgium players celebrated their fourth goal by recreating one of Donald Trump's trademark dance moves, while the Belgian Football Association also appeared to reference the pre-match controversy on social media with a post aimed at the overturned suspension.
Despite the tension surrounding the fixture, Belgium manager Rudi Garcia praised Balogun's conduct after the final whistle.
Garcia revealed the United States striker approached him after the game, and the Belgian boss made it clear he did not hold the player responsible for the circumstances surrounding the suspension. Instead, Garcia insisted his focus throughout had been on Belgium's own performance, highlighting the maturity of his squad in blocking out the outside noise before producing one of their strongest displays of the tournament.
For Rangers supporters, Raskin's influential display will come as another reminder of the midfielder's importance ahead of the new season, with the Belgian continuing to impress on the biggest stage despite ongoing speculation surrounding his future at Ibrox.