Folarin Balogun will be absent from USA's next match at the 2026 World Cup against Belgium due to a red card suspension.
US national team forward Folarin Balogun will miss the US's next match at the 2026 World Cup after being sent off in a 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday. Balogun, who is the United States' top scorer with three goals in this tournament, will not be available in the most important match in the history of the American national team, the round of 16 match against Belgium. "He's disappointed," said U.S. national team coach Mauricio Pochettino. "He's sad because that wasn't his intention, but he's also happy because we qualified." When a player receives a red card, he is sent off and can no longer participate in the current match and is also disqualified for the next match. However, in the case of violent conduct, the disqualification is three matches. Since the tournament has been expanded and there is an additional elimination round, during the 2026 World Cup the yellow card count will be reset after three matches, i.e. after the group stage and after the quarter-finals. If a player were to receive two yellow cards during these three matches, he would be suspended for one match. Balogun's red card and suspension cannot be appealed. He is officially ineligible for the match against Belgium. If he had been expelled for violent conduct, the decision would have been appealable, but since this is not the case, there is no appeal. The football law defines violent conduct as "an intervention or challenge which endangers the safety of an opponent or which uses excessive force or brutality". FIFA regulations state that "if a player or team official is sent off following a direct or indirect red card (second yellow card), he will be automatically disqualified for his team's next match. Furthermore, further sanctions may be imposed."
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