The 2026 FIFA Men's World Cup has been a boon for soccer culture in the United States. However, calls like the one made during Wednesday night's U.S. vs. Bosnia Round of 32 match are turning fans away from the global game.
The U.S. lost its top forward, Folarin Balogun, to a highly questionable red card in the second half of the knockout round match against Bosnia. Balogun's foot landed on the calf of a Bosnia player during a scuffle for the ball. The play went to VAR and a red card was awarded.
Balogun was kicked out of Wednesday night's game. If the U.S. advance to the Round of 16, he'll miss that game, too. Soccer fans are furious.
© Carlos Barria-Reuters via Imagn Images
But it's not just soccer fans that are furious. Sports fans in general, getting into the World Cup due to its presence in the United States, are outraged, too.
Why is a play like that worthy of a red card? Why should a player be suspended for his team's next game for something like that?
It's calls and decisions like that, made in soccer, that are turning sports fans away from the sport in the United States. Similar things have happened over the years in boxing, with questionable rulings and scores awarded during big fights.
American sports fans turned off by soccer tonight
U.S. sports fans are fed up, that's for sure.
"Soccer, the sport of the 80's...Do you know why kids play soccer? So they don't have to watch it," one fan joked.
"Soccer will never be popular in America. What we’re seeing with the World Cup is a fad. Within months we will be addicted to the NFL again," one fan added.
"And this is moment we all realize why Americans don’t care about soccer," one fan added.
"Official just ended soccer in the United States. This is why this country loathes this sport and always will," one fan added.
Even top American athletes, like Jason Kelce and Josh Hart, are fed up, too.
The U.S.'s fan base is annoyed by a lack of consistency with the calls, too.
Why is one a red card and another nothing?
The World Cup has been huge in America, obviously, but with calls like the one made Wednesday night, it becomes tougher and tougher for soccer to truly explode in the U.S.
