Thursday, 02 July 2026 09:33 PM EDT – By Michael Katz
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Thursday he was pleased with the U.S. men’s national soccer team’s advancement to the round of 16 at the World Cup after a 2-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday night in Santa Clara, California.
However, Rubio criticized the red card shown to American striker Folarin Balogun during the match, which will suspend him for one game against Belgium. “They got screwed with that red card,” Rubio stated at the White House, emphasizing there needs to be an appeal process for such decisions.
Balogun, 24, leads the United States in tournament goals with three, including Wednesday’s opening goal. Brazilian referee Raphael Claus issued a red card in the 64th minute following a video review of a challenge on Bosnia and Herzegovina defender Tarik Muharemovic.
The U.S. has no immediate path to appeal the automatic one-match suspension, though Balogun could face extended punishment if FIFA’s disciplinary panel deems the incident warranting additional sanctions. A U.S. Soccer spokesperson confirmed the federation would appeal any ban exceeding a single match.
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr labeled the decision “a total bunk” on social media Wednesday night, while U.S. captain Tyler Adams maintained it should have been a yellow card: “I think it’s a yellow card,” Adams said.
