Folarin Balogun has admitted he anticipated a fierce backlash after Fifa's disciplinary committee suspended his one-match ban ahead of the United States' last-16 fixture at the World Cup, saying he could sense the "nerves" rippling through his squad when the ruling was announced.

The 25-year-old Monaco striker had been dismissed for serious foul play during the United States' last-32 match against Bosnia-Herzegovina, which would ordinarily have triggered an automatic one-game suspension. Instead, Fifa's disciplinary committee suspended the sanction for a year — a move that drew widespread condemnation from across the football world.

The outcry intensified when it emerged that United States President Donald Trump and White House officials had lobbied Fifa over Balogun's sanction. European governing body Uefa described the ruling as "unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable."

A tense bus ride and a divided squad

Balogun told CBS he learned he would be available to play while riding the team bus, triggering an immediate burst of celebration inside the squad. "When we found out on the team bus, everyone was screaming and shouting. It was a pretty intense bus ride to the practice field," he said.

However, he acknowledged the situation had left those around him unsettled. "My initial reaction was that I was happy to be back in the team but when I started to reflect, I knew it was going to start a lot of controversy and I could almost see within my team-mates a bit of nerves because it is something that is so unique," he said.

Because the waiver had not been anticipated, Balogun had been excluded from preparations for the Belgium match, leaving him in an unusual position inside Mauricio Pochettino's camp. "It was confusing as the team was practising without me. I almost played a supporting role to keep the morale high," he added.

United States beaten 4-1 by Belgium

Despite Balogun's availability, the United States were beaten 4-1 by Belgium — a result that arrived just two days after the ban waiver was confirmed. Balogun did not score in the game and rejected suggestions that the off-field controversy had derailed Pochettino's side.

"It was about separating the emotion from the job at hand. We are all professionals," he said. "It was a difficult game against Belgium and that can overshadow whether we are focused or not, but from being inside the camp and set-up I know we had full concentration going into the game."

Questions over Fifa's process remain unanswered

The head of Fifa's disciplinary committee declined to answer questions from BBC Sport regarding the process that led to Balogun's ban being waived. Fifa president Gianni Infantino has previously denied exerting influence over disciplinary matters.

The Balogun case drew further scrutiny through comparison with England's Jarell Quansah, who received a red card for a high challenge on Jesus Gallardo during England's 3-2 win over Mexico. The same Fifa disciplinary committee ruled that Quansah — now playing for Bayer Leverkusen — should serve a two-match ban, one more than the automatic suspension, after classifying the offence as serious foul play.