USMNT's Folarin Balogun Just Did Something Not Seen at World Cup Since 2006

Folarin Balogun would probably be honored to have his name mentioned in the same sentence as French legend Zinedine Zidane, but not in this context.

The United States men’s national team (USMNT) striker experienced the emotional highs and lows the World Cup has to offer against Bosnia-Herzegovina in the Round of 32 on Wednesday night, July 1. Balogun, 24, put the U.S. up 1-0 on a nifty goal just before halftime, but that euphoria was rivaled by utter devastation when he was controversially shown a red card in the 64th minute.

According to ESPN FC, Balogun is the first player to score a goal and receive a red card in a single World Cup knockout match since Zidane in the 2006 World Cup final, which France lost to Italy.

The USMNT were able to hold on and beat Bosnia, 2-0, without Balogun - punctuated by an iconic free kick golazo by Malik Tillman - but the Americans face an uphill battle from here.

The Athletic’s Tom Bogert reported shortly after the match ended that the U.S. cannot appeal Balogun’s red card due to FIFA regulations, which means Balogun will miss the USMNT’s bout with Belgium in the Round of 16 on Monday, July 6.

There is no simple fix to replace Balogun’s impact. Balogun has been the breakout star of this tournament and is the U.S.’s leading goalscorer (3). Ricardo Pepi, who will presumably start for him, has been underwhelming so far.

But if you’re looking for a silver lining, revisit the USMNT’s 2-0 win over Australia. Christian Pulisic sat out the match due to a calf injury, so head coach Mauricio Pochettino switched to a two-striker formation, much to Thierry Henry’s delight, to find success. Pochettino will have to get back in his tactical bag to solve against Balogun’s absence.

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This story was originally published July 2, 2026 at 12:26 AM.