It was never about Balogun, a relatively unimportant player compared to the rest of World Cup teams roasters. It was not about the game between USA and Belgium, that many of us in non-American timezones, whouldn't have sayed awake to watch.

It was about the sport.

A game that unites people, not in some kumbaya way, but through passion, and tears of joy and disappointment.

Football is life. A great baller can also be a shitty character at the same time. An average player can become a hero. A careless moment can have irreversible consequences. Talent gets recognized regardless of origin. Human error is recognized as part of the game.

There's only one thing that all football fans hate: outside interference.

It was about America in 2026

For most of the world, America in 2026 is a symbol of corruption, arrogance, and disrespect. It wasn't always like this. Many of us grew up looking up to America as a symbol of opportunity, and freedom, and openness.

Not any more.

It wouldn't have been the same if a small team from Africa had somehow lobbied to bend the rules. But this was not a random team, from a small country, with a prime minister the rest of us had never heard of.

It was the USA, probably the most powerful country in the world, and Trump, who has trash-talked every single nation and leader around the world. And he made a call to the clown who is President of FIFA, asking for the rules to be bent in his favor, and got his way.

It was also the arrogance of Americans who may have had zero affinity with the sport, explaining to us how the game works, how the rules work, why "everyone would have done the same if they could".

Like a Greek tragedy

And, after all this, after the feeling of injustice, after the frustration of being talked down by arrogant people, eventually, The Beautiful Game restored world order.

USA-BEL 1-4.