US Secretary of State Marco Rubio criticized the decision of referee Rafael Claus to remove striker Folarin Balogun from the field during the American team's game against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the 1/16 finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, reports Fox Sports.
Team USA won the match on July 2, winning 2-0 and advancing to the round of 16 to face Belgium. Balogun scored his third goal of the World Cup against Bosnia and Herzegovina, but received a red card in the second half for a foul on Bosnian defender Tarik Muharemovic.
“They [игроки сборной США] They performed great, but they were given that red card. There should be an opportunity to appeal such decisions. It’s probably too late now,” Rubio responded to reporters’ request to comment on the outcome of the match.
According to FIFA rules, a red card carries an automatic one-match ban, meaning USA top scorer Balogun will miss at least the game against Belgium.
“If a player or team official is sent off the field directly or indirectly by a red card (second warning), they will automatically be suspended from their team’s next match,” reads Article 10.5 of FIFA’s 2026 FIFA World Cup regulations.
As The Athletic notes, citing a FIFA representative, the regulations of this World Cup do not provide for an appeal procedure for a red card or subsequent disqualification.
Speaking at a press conference after the game, USA head coach Mauricio Pochettino also said that, in his opinion, 24-year-old Balogun's attack on the Bosnian's ankle did not warrant a red card, CBS Sport reports. Referee Klaus made the decision based on the results of viewing the VAR video replay, which was requested by his assistant, who noticed the violation.
“It was not done intentionally. For me, the main thing is the intention, and the intention was not to injure the opponent,” Pochettino emphasized.
The referee's position also caused outrage in sports circles, with former referee Mark Clattenburg saying on Fox that the incident did not meet the criteria for receiving a red card.
Messi didn't get a red card for this.
But, Balogun got a red card.
Make it make sense, FIFA… pic.twitter.com/Ce9mePP5g6
— Jon Root (@JonnyRoot_) July 2, 2026
Another ex-English Premier League referee, Graham Scott, told The Athletic that he “would prefer to see, at worst, a warning for such actions.” He also noted similar actions of Lionel Messi in the match between Argentina and Algeria, in which the Argentine player was acquitted by the referee. According to Scott, Balogun's actions were “nothing reckless” and he was “just unlucky.”
The decision deprived the United States of its “most dangerous attacking player” in the match against Belgium, “one of the best teams in the world,” writes the New York Post. In an interview with the publication, American national team midfielder Weston McKennie noted the controversial nature of this referee’s position.
“The guys were discussing it in the locker room. Obviously, the judge made this decision, but I think it is questionable. I think throughout the tournament there were many similar situations with other players when they didn’t give a card at all. It’s disappointing,” McKenney said.
