World Cup Round of 32 Heats Up: England Advances, U.S. Balogun Red Card Complicates American Run

If you've been following the U.S. men's national team at the 2026 World Cup, last night gave you everything — a historic win, a gut-punch red card, and a hero you might not have seen coming.

The USMNT beat Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-0 on July 1st in Santa Clara, California, advancing to the Round of 16 for just the second time ever. That's the good news. The complicated news? Their best player won't be on the field for the next game.

The Win That Actually Matters

This wasn't just another result. The U.S. hadn't won a knockout stage World Cup game since 2002 — 24 years ago. That streak is over. Coach Mauricio Pochettino also became the first U.S. manager ever to earn three World Cup wins, which tells you something about how far this program has come.

The game started shakily. Bosnia came out pressing, and goalkeeper Matt Freese had to make a couple of early saves to keep the U.S. on level footing. But then Folarin Balogun took over.

The Balogun Show (While It Lasted)

Balogun — born in Brooklyn, raised in London, and now the face of American soccer — had an early goal wiped out by offside and nearly scored again off the crossbar. Then, right at halftime, he finally put one away: a cool finish after a Tim Ream interception and a deflected pass found him in the box. That made it 1-0 at the break, and Balogun's third goal of the tournament tied him with Landon Donovan's 2010 total for the second-most goals by an American in a single World Cup.

But the second half flipped the script entirely.

The Red Card Nobody Wanted

In the 64th minute, Balogun went up for the ball with Bosnian defender Tarik Muharemovic. Both players went to the ground, and in the process, Balogun's foot landed on Muharemovic's ankle. Brazilian referee Raphael Claus reviewed it on VAR (video assistant referee — the replay system) and showed Balogun a straight red card for dangerous play.

Everyone around the game called it harsh. U.S. coach Pochettino was direct: "For me, never a red card." FOX's referee analyst Mark Clattenburg agreed, saying the challenge lacked the "speed, force, and malice" required for a red card. Most observers saw it as accidental — Balogun didn't even look for the foul.

The consequence is real though. A straight red card means an automatic one-game suspension, and FIFA confirmed the U.S. cannot appeal it. Balogun will sit out the Round of 16 against Belgium.

Here's a wild footnote: Balogun became just the fourth player in history to score and receive a red card in the same World Cup knockout game — joining Zinedine Zidane (2006 final), Ronaldinho (2002), and Garrincha (1962). Rare, and not the company you want to be in.

The Response That Saved the Night

Down to 10 men, the U.S. could've folded. Instead, Malik Tillman stepped up. In the 82nd minute, he curled a stunning free kick over the Bosnian wall and into the net to seal a 2-0 win. The stadium erupted. Even with Balogun gone, the team held it together.

"We had to dig deep for that one," Christian Pulisic said afterward.

England Also Advances — Thanks to Kane, Again

Meanwhile, over in England's match against DR Congo, Harry Kane did what Harry Kane does. Down in the second half, Kane headed in the equalizer in the 75th minute, then scored a late winner in the 86th — both assisted by substitute Anthony Gordon, who became the first England player ever to be directly involved in multiple goals as a substitute in a World Cup match. Kane now has 13 career World Cup goals, and England moves on.

What This Means for You

If you're an American soccer fan, the U.S. plays Belgium on July 6th in Seattle. Belgium is a serious team — they beat the U.S. in the 2014 Round of 16, and this is a rematch with a quarterfinal spot on the line. Without Balogun, the options to replace him are Ricardo Pepi (who started in the group stage) or Christian Pulisic shifting roles. It's doable, but the team just lost its hottest striker at the worst possible time. The next game will tell us a lot about whether this run is real.