The United States' advancement in the World Cup was overshadowed by a contentious red card issued to star striker Folarin Balogun during their 2-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Round of 32. The expulsion, which occurred after Balogun was deemed to have committed serious foul play for scraping his cleats down the leg of opponent Tarik Muharemovic, has drawn significant backlash from fans and notable figures.
Balogun, who had scored the USA's opening goal before the incident, received a straight red card from referee Raphael Claus shortly after the hour mark. The decision, confirmed after a review on the match monitor, means the 24-year-old will miss the USA's Round of 16 match against Belgium on July 6. This marks a substantial blow to the host nation's campaign, as Balogun has been the team's top scorer in the tournament.
Despite playing with ten men for the final 30 minutes, the USA secured their win with a second-half free-kick goal from Malik Tillman. The victory, however, was tempered by the controversial sending-off, which many observers felt was too harsh given the nature of the contact.
Prominent athletes and personalities voiced their dismay on social media. Brittany Mahomes, wife of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, called the decision "bulls***" on Instagram. Patrick Mahomes himself questioned the call on X, while former NFL stars Jason Kelce and J.J. Watt also expressed disbelief. ESPN host Pat McAfee shared a video on social media, stating his incredulity that Balogun received a red card for such an incident.
Former Swedish international Zlatan Ibrahimović, speaking on FOX's post-game coverage, described Balogun's absence as a "big loss," acknowledging him as one of the USA's best players in the tournament. USA head coach Mauricio Pochettino stated his view that "it's never a red card."
Balogun had earlier celebrated his third World Cup goal of the tournament with a LeBron James-inspired "Silencer" celebration, a moment that drew a positive reaction from James himself on X. The striker's absence will likely lead to Ricardo Pepi stepping into the starting lineup for the match against Belgium. The win marked only the second World Cup knockout victory in the USA's history.