The United States men’s national team faces a significant challenge amid their impressive 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign. Star striker Folarin Balogun received a red card during the 64th minute of the team’s 2-0 victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina in the Round of 32 on July 1. This decision leaves a mark on an otherwise promising competition for the USMNT.
FIFA has confirmed Balogun’s suspension for the crucial Round-of-16 match against Belgium on July 6, as reported by The Athletic’s Tom Bogert. Should the USMNT move past Belgium, Balogun will be eligible to play in the quarterfinals.
At Friday’s training session, Balogun addressed his red card and subsequent suspension. He expressed relief that his suspension covers only one game, highlighting the unintentional nature of the incident. “It’s important for me to say, obviously, first and foremost, it was totally unintentional, which I’m sure a lot of people know,” Balogun stated. He further elaborated that a yellow card would have been a fairer outcome, given the circumstances.
“I think the choice of the referee was, of course, his choice, but I don’t think it was the correct call. I think a yellow card would have been fair. Just due to it not being intentional and also there’s not many places I can place my foot in such a scenario. But I think it’s happened, and it’s something I have to accept and just move forward from,” said Balogun.
Balogun also shared with ESPN’s Jeff Carlisle his emotional experience over the incident. “I’ve been upset,” he acknowledged. “I’ve been happy. It’s been surreal, to be honest. But for me, I think it was just important to stay calm. I never want to react out of anger and out of emotion.” Balogun emphasized the importance of setting an example for young fans by handling the situation with composure.
Before the red card, Balogun had opened the scoring for the USMNT in the 45th minute, making him the first player since France’s Zinedine Zidane in 2006 to score and receive a red card in the same World Cup knockout match. The incident arose during a challenge for the ball with Bosnia’s Tarik Muharemovic, leading to Balogun’s boot inadvertently clipping Muharemovic’s calf. A VAR review influenced the referee’s decision to issue a red card.
USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino expressed his disagreement with the red-card decision, asserting Balogun’s lack of malicious intent. Christian Pulisic also supported Balogun, stating he “didn’t deserve the red card.” Despite these views, Balogun will miss one of the most crucial matches in USMNT history. At 25, Balogun leads the team with three goals in his first World Cup appearance. Pochettino will need to rely on strategic adjustments to compensate for Balogun’s absence against Belgium as the USMNT aims for its first World Cup quarterfinal since 2002.
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