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FIFA's Balogun Red Card Was Wrong — and the Process That Produced It Is Indefensible

7/3/2026

The United States Men's National Team advanced to the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup with a 2-0 victory over Bosnia & Herzegovina, but what should be an uncomplicated celebration of the tournament's most promising home-nation story is now shadowed by one of the most procedurally flawed officiating decisions the sport has produced in recent memory.

Folarin Balogun's red card was not just harsh — it was the product of a VAR review that should never have occurred, and FIFA has no mechanism to correct it.

A Process That Broke Its Own Rules Andy Davies, a former Premier League and Championship referee with more than 12 seasons as a Select Group official, reviewed the play for ESPN and reached a clear conclusion: the VAR recommendation to review Balogun's tackle violated the sport's own protocols.

VAR officials are permitted to use slow-motion and still replays only to establish point of contact, not to initiate a red card recommendation.