FIFA rules leave Team USA no recourse after Folarin Balogun's controversial red card

Folarin Balogun opened up to explain his decision to play for the United States at the 2026 FIFA World Cup™.

The United States men's national team earned arguably its biggest victory in recent history, but it came at quite a cost.

In the midst of its 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday night, Folarin Balogun, the team's leading goal scorer in this World Cup, who found the back of the net in the first half, was handed a controversial red card.

In going for a loose ball, Balogun and an opponent got incidentally tangled up to the point where Balogun stepped on the opponent's ankle, causing it to roll awkwardly. The video assistant referee (VAR) ordered the play to be looked at, and Balogun's transgressions were deemed "serious" enough for the red card.

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Folarin Balogun of United States of America walks off the field after receiving a red card during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 match between United States of America and Bosnia and Herzegovina on July 1, 2026 at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium in Santa Clara, California (Matthew Huang/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The red card meant that not only was Balogun ejected from the game and the USA was forced to play the rest of the match with 10 people, but Balogun will also miss the team's Round of 16 match against Belgium on Monday.

Almost immediately, the outcry over the red card was extreme, and fans were hoping for some sort of appeal process to take place, but it does not exist.

Article 9.6 of the 2026 World Cup regulations reads, "No protests may be made about the referee’s decisions regarding facts connected with play. Such decisions are final and not subject to appeal, unless otherwise stipulated