Former Detroit Lions quarterback and now ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky has found himself at the centre of discussion after his reaction to a major decision involving the FIFA World Cup and the United States men’s national soccer team.

The controversy began after ESPN reported on 5 July that soccer star Folarin Balogun would be available for the United States’ Round of 16 matchup against Belgium. The news came as a shock to many, as Balogun had been given a red card in their previous match, meaning a one-game suspension. However, Orlovsky’s reaction was not well-received by fans online.

“The greatest country ever,” read Orlovsky’s post on X. His comment, while patriotic, was not liked and was also mocked by soccer fans.

American fans were excited to hear the news, considering how Balogun has been their best player during the World Cup. After all, Balogun has scored 3 goals and is averaging a goal every 60 minutes while also becoming just the fourth player in World Cup history to score a goal and get a red card in the same knockout-stage game. 

The USMNT is set to face Belgium next, and the Belgium head coach also voiced his displeasure over the situation.

“I didn’t know that July 5 was equal to April 1 at FIFA. I think it’s necessary to refer to our statement," said head coach Rudi Garcia during the pre-match press conference, referencing the statement released by the Belgian Football Federation. “ We’re not defending the national team or the federation; we are defending football, its ethics and history. It’s the first time in World Cup history that such a decision has been taken.”

The 25-year-old forward was sent off after being shown a straight red card for a foul on Bosnia and Herzegovina defender Tarik Muharemovic in the hosts' 2-0 Round of 32 win.

The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) said FIFA's decision left it "astonished" and confirmed it is assessing all available options moving forward.

Soccer fans around the world were baffled by the decision, and they were quick to react to Orlovsky’s comments on social media.

Fans React To Dan Orlovsky’s Comment

Orlovsky has had quite a few hot takes that have been topics of discussion between fans before. However, his comment on the Folarin Balogun news has drawn considerable displeasure. One fan made it clear that he was done with Orlovsky and mentioned how this situation was only happening due to it involving the US.

“Bro I can’t with you today. Just know this never happens for other teams,” the fan commented.

One fan was fed up with FIFA and called them out for their bias in recent decisions.

“Yeah..to be honest it really just feels like cheating,” the fan commented.

FIFA announced that the automatic one-match ban would be suspended for one year, but provided no detailed reasoning beyond citing a regulation that allows sanctions to be suspended, as reported by The New York Times.

Some fans contrasted the situation with the NFL, pointing out that a similar decision during the NFL playoffs would likely spark widespread outrage.

"Ruining a class sport! Finished your sentence for ya! Imagine if this happened in the NFL during the playoffs," read the comment.

Another fan believes the U.S. is good enough to beat Belgium without Balogun. They feel winning without him would prove the team's strength and avoid any controversy.

“Maybe. Will be a tarnished win. We can win without him and show our strength,” commented the fan.

Another fan mentioned that this change in decision was happening because of another situation and not because of anything else.

“This is overturned because Messi was not punished for a similar offense, not because of USA,” wrote the fan.

What are your thoughts on the situation? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Dhruv Vishnu Nair

Edited by

Soheli Tarafdar