The US men’s national team just advanced past Bosnia and Herzegovina with a 2-0 win in the round of 32 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The celebration lasted about five seconds before reality set in: their best striker won’t be available for the next match.
Folarin Balogun, the USMNT’s top scorer at the tournament with three goals in four matches, picked up a straight red card in the 64th minute of the July 1 victory. Under FIFA regulations, that red card cannot be appealed, meaning Balogun is automatically banned for the round-of-16 clash against Belgium on July 6.
What happened on the pitch
The sequence that led to the ejection was, to put it mildly, a chain reaction of unfortunate events. Balogun stepped on defender Tarik Muharemovic’s ankle during a challenge. Referee Raphael Claus initially let play continue, apparently not seeing enough to warrant a call.
Then VAR official Juan Soto intervened. After review, the on-field decision was reversed, and Balogun was shown a straight red for serious foul play.
