Folarin Balogun will be suspended for the United States Men's National Team's (USMNT) Round of 16 World Cup match against Belgium after receiving a red card during Wednesday's 2-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina. Balogun was ejected following a VAR review for stepping on the ankle of Bosnia defender Tarik Muharemovic.
USMNT midfielder Weston McKennie described the lack of an appeal process for such incidents as "bogus." FIFA regulations, as noted by The Athletic, do not allow for appeals against red cards or subsequent suspensions. A FIFA official stated that a sending-off automatically incurs a suspension for the following match, with FIFA's judicial bodies potentially imposing additional penalties.
"Obviously the ref made a decision that he made, but I think it’s questionable," McKennie said. "I think there’s been many other plays like that throughout the tournament on other players that a card wasn’t given at all. It’s disappointing."
USMNT coach Mauricio Pochettino maintained that Balogun's action was unintentional. "It’s never a red card. Never. ... If the intention is to damage the opponent, OK, I understand. But that never was. It was a normal action in football that you are fighting for the ball and your feet land," Pochettino stated.
Balogun joins a list of notable players who have scored in a World Cup knockout match and were subsequently sent off, including Brazil's Ronaldinho in 2002 and France's Zinedine Zidane in 2006.
This marks the fifth red card in the USMNT's World Cup history. Previous American players to receive red cards in the tournament include Eric Wynalda in 1990, Fernando Clavijo in 1994, and Pablo Mastroeni and Eddie Pope in 2006.