Folarin Balogun thought he had doubled the United States’ lead against Paraguay, but the goal was ruled out after an offside call in the buildup.
The incident came in the USMNT’s World Cup Group D opener at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, where Mauricio Pochettino’s side were trying to make a statement on home soil.
USA were already 1-0 up through an early Paraguay own goal when Balogun found the net, only for the flag to cut the celebration short.
Folarin Balogun offside goal ruled out in USA vs Paraguay
As World Cup Arena posted, Balogun had a goal ruled out for offside while the United States led Paraguay 1-0.
The important detail is that Balogun was not necessarily the player punished by the decision. Reports indicated the offside came earlier in the move, when Christian Pulisic had strayed beyond the defensive line before receiving the ball.
Pulisic then picked out Balogun, who finished calmly past the goalkeeper, but once the earlier offside was identified, the goal could not stand.
That is how offside can wipe out a goal even when the final scorer looks onside. Referees and VAR look at the full attacking phase, not only the last touch before the shot.
The call stopped USA from moving 2-0 ahead at that moment, but it also showed how thin the margins are in a World Cup game, especially with offside technology helping officials review attacking moves.
Offside rule explained after USA World Cup controversy
A player is in an offside position if any part of the head, body, or feet is in the opponent’s half and closer to the goal line than both the ball and the second-last defender.
Being in that position is not automatically an offense. It only becomes offside if the player becomes involved in active play, such as receiving a pass, interfering with an opponent, or gaining an advantage from that position.
Hands and arms do not count for offside, but shoulders, feet, head, and body position do. Level with the second-last defender is onside.
In this case, the decision centered on the pass to Pulisic before Balogun’s finish, meaning the attacking sequence was already illegal before the ball reached the striker.
The match itself still began well for the United States, with Paraguay’s Damián Bobadilla turning the ball into his own net early.
USA face Australia next on June 17 in Seattle, while Paraguay meet Turkey the same day, giving both teams little time to dwell on the call.
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