The USMNT offered some of the greatest games in their World Cup history as they reached the round of 16. Suddenly, they started to look like a contender and not an underdog. The spotlight, however, was taken away by the Folarin Balogun controversy. So much so that despite getting him back against Belgium, a 4-1 scoreline made many wonder what suddenly went wrong for the team. While the USWNT managed pressure well and went on to win the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup, the USMNT faltered. Megan Rapinoe thinks the answer lies within.

“We sort of went from like being an underdog, and we’re making this amazing run, and we’ve totally captured the hearts and minds and the attention of the nation to like losing Balogun, which I think probably would have been better for us to play without (Folarin Balogun),” Rapinoe said via A Touch More: The Beautiful Game. “I know that sounds crazy, but like just the way everything played out.

“To then, like we get him back and we’re like, ‘Oh, thank God.’ Like ‘Everything’s going to be fine’. But it’s like, ‘No, you’re in the quarterfinal match against a really, really, really good team.'”

Rapinoe’s team was also surrounded by controversies just before their 2019 World Cup campaign. They filed a historic gender discrimination lawsuit against the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF). The lawsuit alleged institutionalized discrimination regarding base pay, tournament bonuses, travel conditions, and promotional support. Despite such chaos, the team went on to win the title.

“I think back to 2019, I was 34 on the eve of turning 35, having had a ton of experience in public controversy. This team doesn’t have a core of older players who are used to that.

“They don’t have experience in that level of compartmentalization or the experience in knowing how to channel it for themselves. I mean, I think that’s part of why it was feeling like the moment overwhelmed them or the moment got to them.”

On the other hand, the USMNT couldn’t divert from the chaos created around Balogun.

The USMNT 2026 World Cup roster holds an average age of around 26 years and 332 days. In contrast, 28 was the average age of the USWNT during their 2019 campaign. The USWNT had a veteran like Rapinoe, who had steered the team through all the chaos, something the USMNT missed big time. Despite planning better before facing a team like Belgium, the USMNT was overwhelmed by getting Balogun back. Noise around Balogun’s return took over the other areas, which resulted in the game being surrendered.

According to Rapinoe, had Balogun not returned, the USMNT would have focused on its improvement areas. A better result could have then come out.