USA head coach Mauricio Pochettino says Folarin Balogun was sent off for a “normal” challenge during the co-hosts’ win over Bosnia and Herzegovina, adding that his players showed they are a “family” by seeing out their victory in the last-32 tie after the in-form striker’s dismissal.
Balogun put the USMNT ahead in the 45th minute in San Francisco but received his marching orders 19 minutes later after treading on Tarik Muharemovic’s ankle in an apparently accidental foul.
“In all the 50-50 decisions, none were for us,” said Pochettino, whose side sealed a last-16 meeting with Belgium when Malik Tillman scored the second goal in their 2-0 win with eight minutes remaining.
“[Balogun’s] sad because it wasn’t his intention… we cannot do anything to change that feeling. That is football – he needs to understand that this type of situation happen.”
World Cup 2026: Why Balogun challenge ‘was not red card’
Monaco forward Balogun scored his third goal at the finals but will now miss the tie against the Red Devils and could be banned for longer if his challenge is deemed worthy of a harsher punishment.
“If the intention is to damage the opponent, then okay, I understand,” assessed Pochettino. “But that never was, because it is a normal action in football that you are fighting for the ball and your feet land.
“That was maybe a little bit of a tough scene to watch, but it never was intentional. For me, that action was never a red card. Never.”
USA teammate Chris Richards said the squad told Balogun they have “got his back”. “We are a team of 26, not just one,” added the Crystal Palace defender.
“We are going to miss him for the next game but we know whoever is going to step up is going to do a job just as well as he did.
“It’ll keep us stronger. One man is down, the next guy steps up. We are a team; we are more than just one player, we are more than just 11 players.”
USA vs Bosnia and Herzegovina: World Cup ‘amazing’
Having comfortably beaten Paraguay and Australia to win their group, the USA ousted the European play-off winners to answer their critics following a last-gasp defeat to eliminated Turkiye on matchday three.
“Every single competition is different,” said Pochettino, reflecting on how his experience as a World Cup manager compares to his club career.
“Champions League, Europa League, Premier League, La Liga, French league or the league in Argentina – the World Cup is different because you defend the culture of the people.
“It’s an amazing feeling. I think it’s why people become crazy about being involved [in football] and want to participate – your culture again another culture. It means a lot for the people.”
Former Argentina international Pochettino answered emphatically when he was asked whether he feels American.
“I am 200% Argentine,” he responded. “I feel Argentine 200%, but when you feel part of something and with the bigger things we are building here, I enjoy being part of this amazing project.
“It’s very emotional… for one year and a half we have prepared to be here, and that is why [you take charge of a] country and [work] for that federation, because we wanted to feel that emotion.
“I love to be involved and be part of the party, but I am 200% Argentine. Sorry. I’m not going to lie.”
World Cup 2026: Bosnia and Herzegovina go out with pride
Bosnia and Herzegovina’s run ended after a campaign that included knocking out four-time champions Italy, drawing with co-hosts Canada and beating Qatar to reach the first knockout round.
“The USA have an amazing team with a lot of quality but we didn’t let them have a lot today,” said centre-back Nikola Katic, describing Sergej Barbarez’s squad as “really proud”.
“I would dedicate this to us – the players and staff – because we sacrificed a lot and worked really hard for this.
“And if I have to give it to somebody, it’ll be kids in the country who see new idols for the future. They can take the same path and hopefully more kids will decide to try harder to become professionals and to represent the best clubs and the country in the future.”
World Cup 2026: USA fixtures, schedule
Here’s when the USA face Belgium, with the winners taking on Portugal, Croatia, Spain or Austria on July 10 in the quarter-finals.
Asterisk denotes match starting the previous day in that territory.
| Date | Fixture | Venue | BST start time | ET | PT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tues, July 7 | USA vs Belgium | Seattle | 01:00 | 20:00* | 17:00* |
