The United States men’s national team advanced to the Round of 16 at the 2026 World Cup with a 2-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina.
It was their first knockout round win since beating Mexico in the last 16 at the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan.
Unfortunately, what should have been a huge celebration turned into frustration about a controversial refereeing decision.
Having scored the USA’s opening goal and his third of the tournament, Balogun was sent off for serious foul play in the second half.
Jason Kelce is one of many Americans who cannot believe that referee Raphael Claus showed Balogun a red card.
Jason Kelce’s reaction to Folarin Balogun’s red card during the USMNT World Cup match
Raphael Claus showed Folarin Balogun a red card for serious foul play on Bosnian defender Tarik Muharemovic.
As both players challenged for the ball, Balogun accidentally stood on Muharemovic’s Achilles with the studs on his boot.
Claus reviewed the incident on the pitchside monitor and agreed with VAR official Juan Ernesto Soto Arevalo to show a red card.
Although it looked like a horrible tackle in slow-motion and in freeze frames, Balogun had no intent to commit a foul in real time.
This prompted former Philadelphia Eagles star Jason Kelce to question whether the referee made the right call.
“Man, somebody help me. That foul looked incidental from Balogun,” Kelce posted on social media.
“Shouldn’t a red card be given if there is either intention to foul or an action that is aggressive and unsafe in nature?
“Didn’t feel like Balogun was out of control or anything, just looked like it kind of happened.”
However, Balogun’s intent is actually irrelevant; all that matters is whether his challenge endangered his opponent.
The International Football Association Board (IFAB) states: “a tackle or challenge that endangers the safety of an opponent must be sanctioned as serious foul play.”
Given that the Bosnian defender’s ankle buckled under Balogun’s challenge, the referee considered the challenge serious enough to warrant a red card.
Many viewers, including Piers Morgan, have since highlighted a similar challenge Lionel Messi made at the World Cup.
Messi was fortunate not to be shown a red card, which makes Balogun’s sending off even more difficult to accept.
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