World Cup 2026 Soccer VAR inconsistencies questioned after controversial Folarin Balogun red card in USMNT World Cup win By Matt Ehalt Published July 2, 2026, 8:35 a.m. ET See more of our coverage in your search results.
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Former US Men’s National Team forward Herculez Gomez — and many others — called out the “inconsistent” Video Assistant Referee (VAR) that resulted in a controversial red card for USA star Folarin Balogun that knocked him out of Wednesday’s 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina in the World Cup.
The referees used VAR to determine that Balogun stepped on the back of an opponent’s leg and gave the USMNT star a red card, which will sideline him for next Monday’s Round of 16 clash with Belgium.
“With the circumstantial action, you put it into slow motion, you put it into freeze frame, you take it into VAR, and it looks terrible. It looks like he comes across the Achilles tendon of his opponent and it’s an easy red to dissect,” Gomez said Wednesday night on ESPN. “The problem here is that VAR is so inconsistent, FIFA is so inconsistent. What’s good for the goose isn’t good for the gander.”
The VAR-assisted red card could be one that has massive ramifications for the United States since Balogun is their leading scorer with three goals, including the first one Wednesday night.
In the 61st minute on Wednesday, with the Americans leading 1-0 on his goal, Balogun stepped on the back of Tarik Muharemovic’s leg, and the play was challenged.
The referees used VAR to look at the play, where clear contact was made, and Balogun ultimately earned a red card that forced Team USA to play a man down.
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Team USA coach Mauricio Pochettino did not like the call, saying it was “never a red card,” and both he and Gomez referenced a similar play earlier in the tournament by Argentina star Lionel Messi.
Messi landed on an Algerian foe in a similar manner, but did not receive a yellow nor red card in what The Athletic labeled as “lenient refereeing.”
“(Lionel) Messi does this — and it’s low-hanging fruit, Messi’s one of a few players that have done this action and it doesn’t get called,” Gomez said. “It’s not even a foul, there’s no card. Folarin Balogun does this, it gets reviewed, and when you put it under review, you slow it down, when you go picture by picture, obviously there’s contact. He comes across the Achilles and you’re going to red card him. The problem isn’t that this is a red card. It’s that it’s so inconsistent that it leaves fans and us pundits frustrated.
“How can you not call that one and call this one? How can you not impact that play, that person, and impact this play, this person? That’s what would frustrate me if I were playing in the VAR era.”
