The United States will be without Folarin Balogun for their last-16 clash with Belgium after he was sent off during his side's win over Bosnia and Herzegovina, due to baffling FIFA rules that prevent an appeal.
Balogun's Red Card Incident
United States forward Folarin Balogun experienced the full spectrum of the FIFA World Cup against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Thursday. After giving his side a 1-0 lead in their round of 32 clash, he went on to put them in a problematic position to close out the game. After scoring a crucial goal for Mauricio Pochettino's team just before halftime, his night was cut short just before the hour mark after he was sent off for a heavy challenge that caught Tarik Muharemovic's ankle. Though seemingly unintentional, the forward was given his marching orders after a review by the video assistant referee (VAR) instructed referee Raphael Claus to look at the incident on the pitchside monitor, which led to Balogun being sent off.
USA Advances Despite Disadvantage
But the US, despite being down to 10 men, proved up to the challenge defensively and sealed their place in the last-16 when Malik Tillman scored 10 minutes from time. Balogun is the USMNT's top scorer with three goals in this year's World Cup; however, his red card means he will now serve at least a one-game suspension, keeping him out of the upcoming match against Belgium at Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington, on July 6.
FIFA Rules Prevent Appeal
And the US Soccer Federation cannot appeal Balogun's red card, according to Article 9.6 of FIFA's regulations for the 2026 World Cup. They state: "No protests may be made about the referee’s decisions regarding facts connected with play. Such decisions are final and not subject to appeal, unless otherwise stipulated in the FIFA Disciplinary Code." Additionally, Balogun's suspension could be extended if FIFA's Disciplinary Committee deems it necessary, per Article 10.5, which states: "If a player or team official is sent off as a result of a direct or indirect red card (second caution), they will automatically be suspended from their team’s subsequent match. In addition, further sanctions may be imposed."
Pochettino Fumes Over Decision
But given the controversial nature of Balogun's red card, it seems unlikely he'll be forced to miss more than one game, though. And after the game, Pochettino fumed: "Never was this a red card. Watching it on TV, never was there intention to step (on) the player. That was a normal action in football. That happened by accident and it's never intentional. That is why for me it was never a red card." But he's also happy because we qualified. ... He needs to understand that this type of situation happens. I hope that, for sure, he is going to be able to help us again. I hope that we go to the next round." Pochettino then added: "I think we need to talk about if we can appeal the red card. That should be fair to demonstrate that wasn’t a red card, but I don’t know if that’s possible or not. If that is not possible, we will have different options that we’ll see which decision we will take."
Teammates Rally Around Balogun
While Balogun’s team-mate Chris Richards said: "We told him we have got his back. We are a team of 26, not just one." Ultimately we are going to miss him for the next game, but we know whoever is going to step up is going to do a job just as well as he did. I think it'll keep us stronger. One man is down, the next guy steps up. We are a team, we are more than just one player, we are more than just 11 players."
