A red card incident has overshadowed the success of the United States men’s national team during their 2026 FIFA World Cup journey. Key striker Folarin Balogun received a red card in the 64th minute of a 2-0 victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina in the Round of 32, impacting the team’s dynamics.

FIFA confirmed Balogun’s suspension for the U.S. match against Belgium on Monday, July 6. However, if the team progresses to the quarterfinals, Balogun will rejoin the lineup. During a training session on Friday, Balogun discussed his red card and expressed relief that the suspension was only for one game.

“It’s important for me to say, obviously, first and foremost, it was totally unintentional, which I’m sure a lot of people know,” Balogun stated. “I think the choice of the referee was, of course, his choice, but I don’t think it was the correct call. I think a yellow card would have been fair. Just due to it not being intentional and also there’s not many places I can place my foot in such a scenario. But I think it’s happened, and it’s something I have to accept and just move forward from.”

Balogun also discussed the emotional challenges he’s faced, referring to his experiences as a turbulent “roller coaster.”

“I’ve been upset,” he told ESPN’s Jeff Carlisle. “I’ve been happy. It’s been surreal, to be honest. But for me, I think it was just important to stay calm. I never want to react out of anger and out of emotion. There’s still lots of people were inspiring, little kids, boys and girls who are watching, and we have to show them the correct way to handle things even when you think it’s unjust.”

Balogun’s performance before the red card was notable as he scored the opening goal in the 45th minute, marking the first occurrence since Zinedine Zidane in 2006 when a player scored and was sent off in a knockout match. The red card resulted from an incident involving Bosnia’s Tarik Muharemovic, where Balogun’s boot accidentally clipped Muharemovic’s calf. The VAR review culminated in the red card decision.

USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino and Christian Pulisic both expressed their disagreement with the red card, defending Balogun’s intentions. The absence of Balogun, who has three goals in his debut World Cup, presents a challenge for Pochettino, who must strategize effectively for the crucial upcoming match against Belgium.