Folarin Balogun scored his third goal of the 2026 World Cup, helped the US beat Bosnia-Herzegovina 2-0 in the round of 32, and then watched his tournament potentially unravel in a single moment. A 64th-minute challenge on defender Tarik Muharemovic was reviewed by VAR and deemed serious foul play, earning Balogun a straight red card and an automatic suspension that will keep him out of the knockout match against Belgium.
US Soccer officials moved quickly to appeal the decision. FIFA moved quicker to tell them it wouldn’t matter.
FIFA’s disciplinary code leaves no room for debate
Under Article 66.4 of FIFA’s Disciplinary Code, red cards and their resulting suspensions cannot be appealed during the World Cup. That’s not a gray area or a judgment call. It’s a hard rule baked into the tournament’s framework.
The USMNT played the final 26-plus minutes of the Bosnia-Herzegovina match with 10 men and still managed to extend their lead.
