Balogun struck Bosnian defender Tarik Muharemovic on the back of the leg. (AFP)
The United States advanced to the Round of 16 this morning in San Francisco with a 2-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina. In this match, US forward Folarin Balogun received a red card in the 64th minute, shortly after scoring a goal in the 45th minute. Brazilian referee Raphael Claus’s decision sparked outrage among World Cup commentators and fans alike. The question arose: why didn’t Lionel Messi receive the same punishment for a nearly identical incident against Algeria?
It was the 62nd minute of the match. Balogun was trailing slightly behind Bosnian defender Tarik Muharemovic in the contest for the ball. As they ran, Muharemovic moved ahead; when the ball fell in front of him, he cleared it with a left-footed shot. However, at that moment, while attempting to challenge him from behind, Balogun stepped on the back of Muharemovic’s right ankle with his own right foot.
Initially, referee Claus did not even award a free-kick, let alone blow the whistle for a foul. Play was halted briefly as both players lay on the pitch, having sustained injuries. It was then that VAR officials advised Claus to review the incident on the pitch-side monitor. After watching the video replay, the referee issued a straight red card to Balogun.
The controversial incident involving Messi occurred during Argentina’s first match. Messi had stepped on the back of Algerian defender Mandi’s leg with his studs raised. Algerian players demanded a red card for Messi at the time, but Polish referee Szymon Marciniak, while blowing the whistle for a foul, did not issue any card to Messi. Commenting on the BBC following Balogun’s red card, former England defender Rio Ferdinand referenced a similar incident involving Messi, stating, “These are exactly the situations where people question VAR. Everyone wants to see consistent application of the rules. We all remember that tackle by Messi against Algeria. Many felt it warranted a straight red card, yet it wasn’t properly reviewed, and no punishment was issued. Now look at Balogun’s tackle—VAR intervened, the referee checked the monitor, and suddenly a straight red card was shown. It is this inconsistency that frustrates players, coaches, and fans the most.”
Former England women’s striker Sue Smith, also commentating for BBC, remarked, “When you freeze the frame during the replay, it might look like a definite red card offense. But viewed at normal speed, the decision seems overly harsh.” Smith explained, “Unfortunately, his foot landed in the wrong place.”
World Cup commentator and former US forward Clint Dempsey also criticized the red card decision. He said, “Instead of talking about the game itself, we are now forced to talk about the referees. I feel the US was punished too severely. Florian Balogun didn’t commit an offense that warranted a straight red card. Before making such a decision in a match of this magnitude—one that could determine the outcome—you need to be absolutely certain.”
US coach Mauricio Pochettino also insisted that Balogun’s actions did not merit a red card: “It can’t possibly be a red card. He had absolutely no intention of stepping on the opposing player’s foot.”
Pochettino was also asked about the similar incident involving Messi. He claims, “Neither of the two was a foul worthy of a red card.”
Balogun will not be able to play in the United States’ next match against Belgium in the Round of 16.
