Canada head coach Jesse Marsch has said that an American sense of entitlement rubs many the wrong way, which was perhaps perfectly illustrated in the saga over Folarin Balogun's overturned red card at the World Cup.
The Wisconsin native has never been shy about expressing his feelings about his home country or the team he nearly coached.
Marsch was in the running to take over the U.S. men's national team in 2023, but ultimately was passed over in favor of Gregg Berhalter. He would later declare that he “wasn’t treated very well” in the interview process. In 2024, he was named head coach of Canada.
The 52-year-old has continued to speak out regarding issues on and off the pitch, and had his say on perhaps the biggest controversy in the 2026 World
Cup.
Balogun was shown a straight red card in a 2-0 win against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the round of 32. As the USMNT star was preparing to serve an automatic one-game ban against Belgium in the round of 16, controversy erupted.
Balogun's suspension was reversed the day before the Belgium game, surprisingly giving the U.S. back one of its most crucial players.
Shortly after FIFA's decision was announced, President Donald Trump revealed he pushed FIFA president Gianni Infantino to reverse the suspension.
According to Marsch, the incident was a demonstration of why many around the world have a distaste for Americans.
“We, as Americans, have been inundated with propaganda since we were young," Marsch told The Guardian. "We’re the No 1 country in the world, we deserve everything, we dominate everything, No 1 in every aspect of life. This is what we’ve been told. So, when things happen and we don’t feel like we’re in control of it … we feel like we deserve to be treated differently because we’re Americans. That is one of the things that infuriates the rest of the world about Americans. And Americans don’t know that if they don’t ever leave the country.
“So what I feel when the Balogun ruling happens is that would never happen in any other country in the world, and this is why everyone around the world hates America. That was proven to be so. The U.S. had had a good World Cup, was doing well. All that switched in one moment. But do I think that that’s about corruption and unfairness? The problem is, football is inundated with this kind of stuff.”
Even with Balogun available, the USMNT was dispatched 4-1 in the round of 16 against a motivated Belgium side.
Canada also bowed out in the round of 16, losing to Morocco after defeating South Africa in the round of 32 for the nation's first men's World Cup knockout win.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Canada coach Marsch says Balogun red card reversal shows 'why everyone hates America'
