Flo Balogun went from being an American hero to breaking the hearts of fans across the United States in the span of half an hour on Wednesday.
In Team USA's Round of 32 matchup against Bosnia and Herzegovina, Balogun was able to score his third goal of the World Cup in the 45th minute. However, following the referees' reference to VAR in the 64th minute, Balogun was sent to the showers early after he received a red card for cleating Tarik Muharemovic in the back of the leg on a challenge for the ball.
Barring an unforeseen reversal, the red card will cause Balogun to miss Team USA's Round of 16 game against Belgium on Monday. This is undoubtedly a huge loss for the Stars and Stripes, and it also put Balogun in a unique group of stars who have made World Cup history.
REUTERS/Carlos Barria
As shared on X by Stats Perform's OptaJack, he became the fourth player in the tournament's history to score a goal and receive a red card in the same game.
"Folarin Balogun is the fourth player to score a goal and receive a red card in a FIFA World Cup knockout match," wrote OptaJack on X.
Although he will be out for the next match, Balogun played a huge role in securing Team USA's first World Cup Knockout Round win since 2002.
The Balogun-less Stars and Stripes will face off against Belgium on Monday in a game that will begin at 8:00 p.m. ET and air on FOX, Telemundo and FOX One.
