FIFA's Balogun Ban Rule Is Broken
USMNT wins historic knockout game, but FIFA's non-appealable VAR ruling overshadows the victory.
The USMNT made history by defeating Bosnia in a World Cup knockout round, yet the victory is overshadowed by a glaring regulatory failure that strips players of due process. Striker Folarin Balogun was sent off for a contentious challenge that replays indicated was a clumsy collision rather than the violent conduct cited by the referee. 4, an archaic statute that renders all red cards final and explicitly prohibits appeals.
This creates a paradox where advanced VAR technology is used to adjudicate intent, yet the bureaucracy offers no mechanism to correct clear errors when that technology is misapplied. Manager Mauricio Pochettino and the United States camp are left fuming, forced to accept a ban that feels legally arbitrary rather than sporting justice. The immediate fallout is Balogun’s suspension for the critical match against Belgium, but the long-term damage is to the tournament's integrity.
