Assessing the Impact of Balogun's Red Card
The US men's national team was left reeling on Wednesday when Folarin Balogun was given his marching orders in the 64th minute of their World Cup round of 32 match against Bosnia and Herzegovina at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, a game the USA won 2-0 to advance to the round of 16 and set up a showdown with Belgium.
As the USA prepares to face Belgium on Monday at Seattle Stadium, the big question on everyone's mind is whether Balogun will be available for selection. Here is everything to know about the situation surrounding Balogun's red card.
Balogun's Availability for the Belgium Match
Balogun's red card means that he will be suspended for the United States' round of 16 match against Belgium. Balogun is the United States' leading scorer at the 2026 FIFA World Cup with three goals. He is the fifth American to score three goals at the World Cup, joining Landon Donovan, Bert Patenaude, Clint Dempsey and Brian McBride.
The Incident That Led to Balogun's Red Card
Balogun was competing for the ball with center back Tarik Muharemovic, and Balogun stepped on the Bosnian defender's ankle while he was falling toward the ground. Brazilian referee Raphael Claus was sent to the screen next to the field after a VAR review, and he deemed the action by Balogun to be worthy of a red card.
Balogun is the first player to score a goal and register a red card in a World Cup knockout match since Zinedine Zidane against Italy in the 2006 final.
