Folarin Balogun went from hero to villain for the USMNT after scoring a goal in their win against Bosnia and Herzegovina, only to be sent off later.
Balogun helped the United States fend off Bosnia and Herzegovina and advance to the Round of 16 in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
However, the youngster is set to miss the next game after receiving a red card in the second half of the game. The infraction actually put him in the same position as some of football’s greatest players.
Folarin Balogun becomes fourth player to score and get red carded in a FIFA World Cup game
With his goal in the 45th minute and subsequent sending off in the 64th minute, Folarin Balogun became the fourth player in FIFA World Cup history to score and get sent off in the same game.
He now joins Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldinho, and Garrincha as the only players to have achieved this feat in the FIFA World Cup.
Of course, the most famous of these incidents is that of Zinedine Zidane, who infamously headbutted Italian player Marco Materazzi in the 2006 FIFA World Cup final.
Ronaldinho’s red card came in the quarter finals of the 2002 FIFA World Cup, which kept the superstar on the sidelines until the World Cup final.
The USMNT will be hoping that Balogun’s red card won’t have a similarly detrimental impact on their upcoming Round of 16 game against Belgium.
Folarin Balogun ban puts Mauricio Pochettino in difficult position
Now that Balogun will be unavailable for the USMNT’s Round of 16 game, head coach Mauricio Pochettino must now figure out how he will replace him.
The likeliest option will be Ricardo Pepi, the striker for PSV Eindhoven who came on as a substitute later in the game.
Given the nature of the opposition, Pepi’s experience playing for a top team in Europe could come in handy against Belgium.
The USMNT are making some serious noise in the FIFA World Cup so far, and a statement win over Belgium would send a message that they are not to be taken lightly.
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