USA Advance Despite Balogun Red Card Shadow Over Belgium Clash

1 hour ago·2 min

The United States are through to the quarter-finals of the World Cup, but the joy of their victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina carries a significant sting — striker Folarin Balogun has been sent off and now faces a ban that could sideline him for more than one game.

Wednesday's last-16 win at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium was convincing, and it earned Mauricio Pochettino's side a mouth-watering Round of 8 tie against Belgium in Seattle on Monday evening (01:00 BST Tuesday).

Balogun's night of highs and lows

The 24-year-old former Arsenal forward was the game's standout performer before his tournament unravelled in the 61st minute. He opened the scoring shortly before half-time to claim his third goal of the competition — a tally that made him only the third American to reach that mark across a single World Cup edition.

That milestone, however, was quickly overshadowed. A challenge for a ball down the left channel ended with Balogun's boot catching the ankle of Bosnia defender Tarik Muharemovic as it came back to the ground, causing a sickening twist. Brazilian referee Raphael Claus reviewed the incident on the monitor and had little option but to show a straight red card.

The dismissal placed Balogun in rare company: he became the fourth player in history to both score and be sent off in a knockout-stage World Cup match, joining Brazil's Garrincha (1962 semi-final), Brazil's Ronaldinho (2002 quarter-final against England), and France's Zinedine Zidane (the 2006 final against Italy).

A ban that could reach beyond Belgium

The automatic one-match suspension rules Balogun out of the Belgium fixture, but FIFA officials could yet extend the sanction — potentially stripping him of a quarter-final and semi-final appearance should the United States keep advancing.

Ricardo Pepi, a long-time Fulham target now at PSV, is the most likely replacement. Pepi has yet to score in 184 minutes of action at this tournament, and his last international goal came in a Nations League match back in November 2024.