World Cup Story Feed
World Cup Story Feed
31st minute: offside, goal disallowed. 45th minute: Tim Ream intercepts, Tillman crosses, Balogun slots it into the corner with his left foot. 64th minute: he stepped on Muharemović's ankle, referee Raphael Klaus showed a straight red card.
In the 31st minute, offside, goal disallowed. In the 45th minute, Tim Ream intercepted, Tillman crossed, Balogun fired a left-footed shot into the corner. In the 64th minute, he stepped on Muharremović's ankle, and referee Raphael Claus pulled out a straight red card.
19 minutes. From heaven to the locker room.
On that aerial challenge in the 61st minute, Balogun landed with his right foot on the back of the opponent's right ankle. The ankle bent. Claus didn't blow his whistle, didn't even call a foul. VAR buzzed. Claus walked to the sideline, stared at the screen, walked back onto the pitch, and raised the red card over his head. 68,000 people at Levi's Stadium watched the 24-year-old Brooklyn kid walk toward the tunnel. He didn't protest, just spread his hands.
Pochettino made it clear after the match: "For me, this is never a red card. He had absolutely no intention of stepping on anyone." ESPN's VAR review agreed: "It doesn't constitute a red card offense. Both players were going for the ball."
What made this card so glaring was another set of replays. ESPN's Ale Moreno mentioned Messi stepping on Mandi's shin in the group stage, saying, "For Messi, this is 100% a red card." The Telegraph was more direct, with a headline asking: "One rule for Messi, another for everyone else?" Same tournament. Messi stomped on Mandi's calf with the sole of his boot—no card. Balogun brushed an ankle while landing from an aerial challenge—red card. FIFA rules prevent teams from appealing on-field red cards. This card was locked in. The U.S. team didn't even have a channel to cry foul.
Folarin Jerry Balogun, born in Brooklyn, New York in 2001, to Nigerian Yoruba parents. Moved to London at one month old. Represented England at U17 and U18. In May 2023, he chose to represent the United States. Four nations layered over one man. Transferred from Arsenal to Monaco in 2023 for €40 million. Expected to leave after this World Cup, with Monaco demanding €50 million.
Wearing the U.S. jersey in his birthplace, he wrote himself into a list of only three names: World Cup knockout match, scoring a goal and getting a red card in the same game.
Garrincha scored twice in the 1962 semifinal against Chile. When he was sent off, stones thrown from the Santiago stands hit his head. Ronaldinho in the 2002 quarterfinal against England, chipped a free kick past Seaman, then stepped on Danny Mills' ankle in a tackle 7 minutes later—red card. Zidane scored a Panenka penalty in the 2006 final, headbutted Materazzi in the 110th minute, ended his career with a red card.
The first three were gods. Their teams won two titles and one runner-up. Balogun is the fourth. The first three were all legendary superstars. He is the only mortal walking off the pitch as a winner.
Tillman took a free kick in the 82nd minute, about 20 yards out, on the left side. The ball went straight into the goal. Ten-man USA, 2-0. Levi's Stadium exploded. This free kick was the second time in U.S. World Cup history that the team scored while a man down. The first was in a 1990 group stage match against Czechoslovakia—a 5-1 loss where the goal was merely a consolation. This time was different. The ten-man U.S. held on and even extended the lead. In the 1998 World Cup final, Desailly was sent off in the 68th minute, and Petit scored again in stoppage time. France beat Brazil 3-0. That French team went on to lift the trophy.
July 7, Round of 16, opponent Belgium. Balogun suspended. This tournament's three-goal scorer—brace against Paraguay, one against Turkey, opener against Bosnia. Next match, he can only watch from the stands. In 2014, the U.S. was eliminated by Belgium in the Round of 16 in extra time. A revenge match ten years in the making, and the sharpest blade can only hang on the wall of the player tunnel.