Lionel Messi referee verdict leaves USMNT fans even angrier about Folarin Balogun red card
Tom Earnshaw
Featured Image Credit: Matthew Huang/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Team USA has won its first World Cup knock-out match since 2002 but in doing so, paid a heavy price through the suspension of talisman striker Folarin Balogun.
It was a decision that has led to extreme anger and frustration among Americans watching the match, with many simply not understanding why he was red carded.
And it's a decision that looks even more illogical - to some, at least - when you compare to an unpunished challenge by Lionel Messi earlier on during the group stage of the 2026 World Cup, being held across the USA, Mexico, and Canada.
The USMNT beat Bosnia and Herzegovina on Thursday (2 July) in an electric Round of 32 match. Belgium now await for Team USA on Monday (6 July) - but it's a match without Balogun due to his red card challenge on Tarik Muharemovic.
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A VAR check on the challenge showed Balogun's challenge on Muharemovic wasn't as innocuous as first thought, with his studs up on the opponent's leg.
Earlier in the World Cup, Messi did an eerily similar challenge in Argentina's match against Algeria.
Yet the world's greatest ever player, now aged 38, avoided a red card. And to make it worse for USMNT supporters, it was a challenge one former Premier League referee seemed to be worthy of walking off the pitch.
Speaking to the Sun, Halsey said the World Cup winner should have been sent off.
He said: "Listen, the referee, Marciniak was in an excellent position and I thought he refereed the game very well. But when you look at the incident, Messi did endanger the player's safety, Aissa Mandi.
"When you look at the incident, the ball is not within playing distance so it's not serious foul play.
"It has to be violent conduct because it comes down as a stamp. It's classed as a stamp. I was really surprised that VAR didn’t recommend a review, especially when you go back to the opening game."
Over on X, one USA fan wrote: "Messi didn’t get a red card for this. But, Balogun got a red card. Make it make sense, FIFA."
And sports journalist Ben Jacobs wrote: "Two relatively similar incidents. Flo Balogun: red card. Lionel Messi: unpunished."
A third posted: "Balogun was given a red card last night, pretty much ending his tournament. Meanwhile Messi didn't even get a yellow card for this."
Halsey added: ""Mexico vs South Africa when Themba Zwane was adjudged to have committed an act of violent conduct and VAR recommended an on-field review to the Brazilian official. For me, that was never, ever violent conduct and VAR should not have gotten involved in that incident.
"But they get involved in that incident and they don't get involved in this incident. It's absolutely barmy. For me, I think Messi was a very, very lucky player because that stamp endangered the player’s safety."
Some viewers thought Lionel Messi should have been sent off for this 🟥
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) June 17, 2026
What do you think? #FifaWorldCup pic.twitter.com/Qdvc50KOv0
We're afraid not, USA fans.
Speaking to the Guardian, a US Soccer spokesperson said there is an automatic one-game suspension for a straight red card. It cannot be appealed by the team.
The appeal process only comes in if the one game suspension is extended by the FIFA disciplinary committee.
To make things more gruelling for Balo, he can't even watch the match from the benches - he'll have to sit in the stands at Lumen Field in Seattle.