USA Gets Unfortunate Update After Folarin Balogun Red Card

Folarin Balogun gave Team USA the lead against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday night. While he played a crucial role in the 2-0 victory, he won't see action in the Round of 16 after the referee showed him a controversial red card in the second half.

The official sent the 5-foot-10 striker off after a contentious moment in the 64th minute. He deemed Balogun's foul on Tarik Muharemovic a dangerous play. Balogun faces suspension in the Round of 16 game, and, unfortunately, Team USA officials won't be able to appeal it.

The Athletic reached out to a FIFA official to confirm whether Balogun's red card can be appealed. The unnamed official said no, pointing to Article 66.4 of the rulebook.

"A sending-off automatically incurs suspension from the subsequent match. The FIFA judicial bodies may impose additional match suspensions and other disciplinary measures."

The foul that caused the red card for USA @RaphaBraz_pic.twitter.com/TWHZKtTD4f

— Follow @RaphaBraz (Ajax) (@Ajax_1022) July 2, 2026

The Americans will face Belgium in the next round, with a quarterfinal ticket up for grabs. It won't be easy, as the Belgians showed their dominance in a March friendly, winning 5-2 in Atlanta.

Balogun has scored three goals in this year's World Cup, including a brace against Paraguay in their opening game. The 24-year-old Monaco forward is the USA's top striker. He bagged two Man of the Match awards in two appearances in the group stage.

Ricardo Pepi and Patrick Agyemang are the candidates to replace him on Monday. However, the defense must be at its best as Belgium possesses a potent offense that can pile on goals quickly.

Related: Flo Balogun Makes Unfortunate World Cup History

Copyright 2026 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved

This story was originally published July 2, 2026 at 12:49 AM.