Alexi Lalas rips referees after Folarin Balogun red card in Team USA win: 'An absolute joke'

Celebrations person begun for Team USA aft defeating Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-0 to beforehand to the Round of 16 astatine the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

But it’s besides bittersweet considering Folarin Balogun, who scored his 3rd World Cup extremity successful the victory, won’t beryllium disposable connected Monday nighttime successful Seattle against Belgium aft being shown a reddish paper successful the 64th infinitesimal successful a massively arguable decision.

When caput referee Raphael Claus of Brazil showed the reddish paper to Balogun, the assemblage astatine San Francisco Bay Area Stadium and the millions watching from location were stunned. Not lone did the USMNT person to look Bosnia and Herzegovina for the remainder of the crippled down 1 man, but helium would beryllium missing the adjacent lucifer if they made it through.

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Folarin Balogun of the United States reacts to receiving a reddish paper for a foul connected Tarik Muharemovic of Bosnia and Herzegovina during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 lucifer betwixt USA and Bosnia and Herzegovina astatine San Francisco Bay Area Stadium connected July 1, 2026 successful Santa Clara, California. (Charlotte Wilson/Getty Images)

After the match, erstwhile USMNT prima Alexi Lalas didn’t clasp backmost his thoughts astir however the crippled was officiated connected the night.

"An implicit gag of a refereeing night," Lalas said during the FOX Sports broadcast.

Lalas besides had an absorbing station connected X involving Argentina superstar Lionel Messi, which was invoked by galore aft seeing what happened to Balogun.

In Balogun’s case, it was determined that him stepping connected the backmost of Tarik Muharemovic’s leg, which led to a rolled ankle, was capable to flash the reddish paper aft VAR reappraisal contempt some players jostling for presumption to person the shot coming their way.

USA ADVANCES IN WORLD CUP AFTER CONTROVERSIAL RED CARD VS BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

There was thing done with intent connected Balogun's end; rather, helium was conscionable trying to onshore with his close limb aft being bumped himself, and his ft unluckily came down connected Muharemovic.

Folarin Balogun of USA receiving a reddish paper from Referee Raphael Claus during the World Cup lucifer betwixt USA v Bosnia and Herzegovina astatine the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium connected July 1, 2026 successful Santa Clara, California. (Eric Verhoeven/Soccrates)

But Lalas instantly thought astir Messi’s concern that occurred successful Argentina’s World Cup opener against Algeria. Messi was trying to get a shot distant from an Algerian subordinate erstwhile helium was seen digging his cleat into the backmost of the player’s calf.

Lalas posted the clip connected X with the elemental caption, "'Sup," making it beauteous wide what helium was referring to. Messi wasn’t reprimanded connected the pitch, oregon after, for what appeared to beryllium a much egregious enactment than Balogun considering helium was looking down astatine his opponent’s limb from down earlier the cleat hits the calf.

Balogun wasn’t adjacent looking astatine the backmost close limb of Muharemovic, though it was wide it could’ve been an wounded fixed the rolled ankle that was being stepped on.

United States' Folarin Balogun (20) and United States' Christian Pulisic (10) basal by aft Balogun received a reddish paper during the World Cup circular of 32 shot lucifer betwixt the United States and Bosnia successful Santa Clara, Calif., adjacent San Francisco, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

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Either way, the USMNT volition person to deliberation astir who volition instrumentality Balogun’s spot against Belgium, arsenic manager Mauricio Pochettino and his unit volition deliberate implicit that cardinal presumption against their adjacent formidable opponent.

But this reddish paper volition beryllium debated for the days starring up to the adjacent match, which volition beryllium held astatine Seattle Stadium connected July 6 astatine 8 p.m.

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