U.S. Men’s National Team striker Folarin Balogun was sent off with a straight red card in the 64th minute of Wednesday’s 2-0 Round of 32 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Balogun had opened the scoring late in the first half with his third goal of the tournament. The forward then became involved in a challenge on Bosnia defender Tarik Muharemovic. Referee Raphael Claus did not initially issue a card on the field. After a VAR review, Claus went to the monitor and showed Balogun a red card for dangerous play. Replays showed Balogun’s cleats making contact with the back of Muharemovic’s leg and foot.
The United States played the final 26 minutes with 10 men but still secured the win. Malik Tillman scored the second goal from a free kick in the 80th minute. The result advanced the U.S. to the Round of 16, where they will face Belgium without Balogun due to the automatic one match suspension.
This incident drew comparisons to an earlier match in the tournament involving Lionel Messi. In Argentina’s group stage game against Algeria, Messi made a similar looking challenge that did not receive a yellow card or trigger a VAR review.
Balogun becomes the fifth American player to receive a red card in World Cup history. The others were Eric Wynalda in 1990, Fernando Clavijo in 1994, and Pablo Mastroeni and Eddie Pope in 2006. The U.S. coaching staff and players expressed surprise at the decision after the match, while the team focused on advancing despite the setback.
The red card came after Balogun had been a key part of the U.S. attack throughout the group stage and into the knockout round. His absence in the next game will force adjustments in the forward line as the team prepares for Belgium. Officials from both teams and FIFA have not issued further statements on the officiating decision at this time.