Folarin Balogun said the red card he received in the United States men's national team's group stage match against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday was "totally unintentional" and that a yellow card would have been more appropriate.
The incident occurred when Balogun's foot contacted an opponent's ankle during play. Referee Raphael Claus of Brazil issued the red card, and the automatic suspension that followed will keep Balogun out of Monday's knockout stage match against Belgium.
"I think a yellow card would have been fair due to it not being intentional," Balogun told reporters Friday.
The ejection has renewed scrutiny of FIFA's disciplinary process. According to the 2026 World Cup regulations, Article 9.6 forbids any protest of referential decisions on matters of fact, stating such decisions "are final and not subject to appeal." Article 10.5 mandates that a send-off results in an automatic suspension with no discretion for mitigation or review.
The incident unfolded quickly: Claus evaluated whether the incidental contact constituted "serious foul play," a term broadly defined in soccer's rulebook. The video assistant referee system flagged the play, and within minutes Balogun received his red card.
No public explanation for how the decision crossed the threshold from yellow to red has been released, and no audio record of the VAR's reasoning has been made public.
Former Team USA star John Harkes, who experienced FIFA's disciplinary codes firsthand, has called for rule reform. But FIFA has resisted erosion of referee authority.
The absence of a review mechanism contrasts sharply with other major sports. Major League Baseball has expanded replay review. The NFL has developed systems for challenging officiating decisions. The Premier League deploys semi-automated offside technology. Cricket has embraced the Decision Review System.
FIFA confirmed that Balogun is eligible to return in the quarterfinals if the USA prevails Monday. The USMNT now faces Belgium's Round of 16 match without one of its top performers at the tournament.
