Yeah, That 'Red Card' Was Bogus — but Can Team USA Do Anything About It?

The United States is heading into its 250th birthday weekend riding high on the men's soccer team's amazing Wednesday night victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina in its first elimination game of the World Cup.

As RedState's Bob Hoge reported, our boys "thrashed out an epic 2-0 victory, despite being a man down for over 36 minutes." And they were down a man for that long because of a much-derided red card given to star U.S. player Folarin Balogun after he stepped on the ankle of an opponent when going in for a tackle.

Here's what happened:

Was this worthy of a red card? 🟥 pic.twitter.com/WfrIxMRNMD
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) July 2, 2026

(Disclaimer: I am not a soccer player, but I've been married to one for 30 years. The husband says it was definitely a red card because, when tackling, you have to play the ball, not the man. His quote: "If that happened to me or to one of my players when I was coaching, darn right I'd say that's a red card.")

The frustrating part for fans is that nothing was called on the pitch at the time. The two players involved were attended to by their trainers, and both were absolutely fine – the Bosnian player even returned to the pitch and played for the rest of the game. But, FIFA's Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system took a closer look at the infraction, and Brazilian referee Raphael Claus subsequently raised the red card in Balogun's direction.

Morning Minute: Bring on Belgium!

After receiving the red card, Balogun had to leave the pitch immediately and now cannot play in the team's Monday match against Belgium – and this hurts because he's one of the team's most skilled players. And those skills will be needed to help the upstart U.S. team advance past a tough Belgium team into the round of eight, something it hasn't done since 2002.

U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino was seeing red about the whole thing. "It’s never a red card. Never.... If the intention is to damage the opponent, OK, I understand. But that never was. It was a normal action in football that you are fighting for the ball and your feet land," he said in post-match remarks.

Pochettino had this to say about the red card that was given to Flo Balogun pic.twitter.com/xg7Uu8t4ex
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) July 2, 2026

The red card stings even more because it seems that players from other countries have not been red carded for committing the same foul Balogun did – and that includes Argentina's megastar Lionel Messi.

Hey @Grok, can you explain why Messi didn't receive a red card for this challenge, while Balogun was shown a straight red for what appears to be a very similar foul? pic.twitter.com/3AxPwnrRFx
— Shedyfooty (@Shedyfooty) July 2, 2026

U.S. fans are now left to wonder if anything can be done about Balogun's suspension. Some say no.

A FIFA official told The Athletic a team cannot appeal against the red card or the suspension. The official pointed the outlet to a portion of the organization’s rules and regulations, which states, "A sending-off automatically incurs suspension from the subsequent match. The FIFA judicial bodies may impose additional match suspensions and other disciplinary measures."

Others say "not so fast." While the ref's decision cannot be overturned, there may be an argument that VAR protocols are being unfairly applied during the World Cup. For instance, the Messi foul was never put under VAR review even though, as we can see from the photo, it's nearly identical to the Balogun situation. It's probably a long shot, but it sure does look like some players are being given more grace by the refs than others.

Failing this, it might be time for The Don to make a house call.

Trump showing up to Infantino’s house to rescind the Balogun red card: https://t.co/TKfuUqoaq4 pic.twitter.com/EjCcENqx5l
— Siraj Hashmi (@SirajAHashmi) July 2, 2026

No matter what happens with the red card, the men's team proved they can pull together and play through adversity. They showed the kind of grit and determination that our country is celebrating this weekend as we mark two-and-a-half centuries of freedom. And that American spirit can take us places no one thought possible.

Bring on Belgium.

Editor's Note: It’s America’s 250th birthday! Help RedState celebrate the greatest nation in history by honoring its past, defending its present, and preserving its future with reporting you can trust.

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