Rubio says USMNT got screwed by Balogun red card

Marco Rubio said Thursday that the U.S. men’s national soccer team “got screwed” when Folarin Balogun was sent off in a 2-0 World Cup round-of-32 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina, putting the debate over the red card back at the center of the Americans’ run.

Balogun had already given the United States the lead in Santa Clara, California, before a VAR review turned the match sharply. The striker was shown a straight red card for a foul on Bosnia defender Tarik Muharemovic, leaving the U.S. to finish the final stretch with 10 men. Even after the dismissal, the Americans held on, advanced to the Round of 16 and kept alive a tournament run that has leaned on both composure and opportunism.

Rubio’s comments landed a day after the match, but the controversy also underscored how fragile the U.S. attack becomes when Balogun is removed from the picture. The suspension will rule him out of the next match against Belgium, a significant loss for a side that has depended on his finishing and movement to unlock defenses. There is no route to appeal the red card, despite Rubio’s call for an appeal process.

The split reaction to the call reflected how close the play sat to the line between aggression and recklessness. Bruce Arena, the former U.S. men’s national team coach, backed the decision and said the challenge carried a serious injury risk. ESPN described Balogun’s foul as dragging his cleats down the back of Muharemovic’s leg and onto his foot, which helped explain why VAR escalated the incident to a straight red.

The broader picture is less about one whistle than about what the second half revealed. Mauricio Pochettino’s side showed it can survive pressure, adjust on the fly and protect a lead with a man down, but the win also exposed a lingering weakness: without Balogun, the U.S. loses a forward capable of changing a knockout match in an instant.

The interest around the team has only grown as the World Cup has advanced. ESPN reported that 24.4 million viewers watched the U.S. win, a record audience that matched the stakes on the field. The Americans still moved on, but the combination of a costly suspension and a looming Belgium matchup has made Balogun’s red card more than an officiating dispute. It is now a test of how much margin this U.S. team really has when the pressure rises.