Folarin Balogun, the squad’s leading scorer at the 2026 World Cup with three goals, was shown a straight red card during the 64th minute of the USA’s round-of-32 victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina on July 1. The card came after a VAR review of a challenge on defender Tarik Muharemovic, deemed serious foul play. FIFA has confirmed there is no appeal process available, meaning Balogun will sit out Monday’s round-of-16 match against Belgium.

The US won the match 2-0, with Balogun himself scoring the opener before his ejection.

The call and the controversy

The challenge in question involved Balogun and Bosnian defender Tarik Muharemovic. The referee initially handled the situation on the field, but VAR intervened, and after a review, the decision was upgraded to a straight red for serious foul play. The automatic consequence is a one-match suspension, no exceptions.

The central debate is whether the foul actually warranted the nuclear option. Red cards for serious foul play require that the challenge endangered the safety of an opponent with excessive force or brutality. Coach Mauricio Pochettino has expressed frustration with the decision and what it means for his team’s tournament hopes.

The US squad managed to hold on with ten men for the final 26 minutes plus stoppage time, preserving their 2-0 lead.

Why FIFA’s no-appeal stance matters

FIFA’s disciplinary framework for World Cup red cards is pretty rigid. For violent conduct or serious foul play, the minimum suspension is one match, and the governing body has made clear that this particular decision cannot be appealed before the Belgium game.

What this means for the US against Belgium

Balogun’s three goals made him the USMNT’s most productive attacker in the tournament heading into the Bosnia match. Pochettino will need to restructure his forward line for a match against Belgium without Balogun’s movement and finishing ability.