The United States men’s national soccer team pulled off a 2-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina on July 1 in the round of 32 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, held at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
Folarin Balogun opened the scoring late in the first half, notching his third goal of the tournament. Then things got weird.
The red card heard round the world
In the 64th minute, Balogun received a straight red card following a VAR-reviewed challenge on Bosnia defender Tarik Muharemovic. Referee Raphael Claus deemed the tackle “serious foul play,” reducing the US to 10 men in a knockout match. Balogun became the first player to both score and receive a red card in a single World Cup match.
The decision has become one of the most debated moments of the tournament, with pundits and fans pointing to what they see as glaring inconsistency in VAR application. A similar challenge by Lionel Messi in Argentina’s opener reportedly went unpunished, and the comparison has fueled outrage across social media and sports commentary circles alike.
