Folarin Balogun, forward for the U.S. Men's National Team (USMNT), stated that he believed a yellow card would have been a more appropriate penalty for his tackle during the match against Bosnia-Herzegovina. The red card resulted in a one-game suspension from FIFA, confirmed by a U.S. Soccer spokesman, ruling him out of the upcoming Round of 16 game against Belgium.

"There’s been lots of different emotions. I’ve been upset, I’ve been happy, it’s been surreal to be honest," Balogun said in his first public comments since the incident. "But for me it was just important to stay calm. I never want to react out of anger and emotion."

Balogun was shown a straight red card for a challenge on Bosnia's Tarik Muhamerović, where his trailing leg scraped the back of the defender's calf and ankle. While acknowledging it was a dangerous play, Balogun felt the severity of the punishment was disproportionate, particularly when viewed in real-time rather than slow-motion replay. He also noted comparisons to a similar challenge by Lionel Messi earlier in the tournament that did not result in discipline.

"If you played the game, you would understand there’s scenarios that you simply can’t avoid and it has to be taken into context when it’s reviewed," Balogun explained. "I felt it wasn’t on this occasion. I think you all saw, there’s nowhere else to put your leg. It’s gonna be unavoidable. I’ve seen many different opinions and takes. For me personally, I think a yellow card would have been fair. It’s something that’s happened, so we have to move forward and I have to accept it."

Balogun, who has been a key player for the USMNT during the tournament, scored a goal against Bosnia before his ejection. His absence in the next match leaves a void in the attacking lineup, with Ricardo Pepi and Haji Wright being the likely replacements. Manager Mauricio Pochettino also has the option to shift Christian Pulisic or Weston McKennie to a striker role, or start Gio Reyna.

Balogun expressed his willingness to support any teammate who steps into his role. "Whatever he needs," Balogun said of Pepi, "Not just him, anyone in the team, if they need advice or anything, I’m more than happy to do that."

Despite the disappointment of his suspension, Balogun maintained a sportsmanlike demeanor. After the match, he joined his teammates in celebrating with the crowd and was seen shaking hands with the referee. "I think even though you can feel like some injustice happened to you, it’s not an excuse to be disrespectful or not do the right thing," Balogun stated. "After every game, I try to shake the referee’s hand. This game is no different. As I said, the most important thing for me is to give the correct example to people watching."

He emphasized the importance of setting a positive example for new fans of the sport. "This is something, I’m aware that the World Cup might be the first time a lot of American viewers are tuning in. It’s important to show people that whether things happen to you, good or bad, just continue to be yourself."