Why was Folarin Balogun’s goal disallowed in USA vs Bosnia & Herzegovina FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 clash?
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Folarin Balogun found the back of the net in the 31st minute of today’s match.
The USA faced Bosnia and Herzegovina in an exciting Round of 32 clash in the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2026 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, on July 1. Folarin Balogun thought he had given the Stars and Stripes the lead just after the half-hour mark. But his goal was immediately chalked off by the referee.
After a largely uneventful 30 minutes of football, the breakthrough came from loose play at the back by Bosnia and Herzegovina. Weston McKennie won possession deep inside the Bosnian half. He immediately played in Balogun.
The AS Monaco striker did brilliantly to bring the ball under control before going past Nikola Katic with a fake shot. He then pulled the trigger with his left foot, finding the bottom corner past a helpless Nikola Vasilj.
Balogun then pulled off LeBron James’ famous ‘Silencer’ celebration, flanked by his teammates. The 71,000-odd USA fans in the stands celebrated loudly as well, thinking that their team had gained the advantage in the knockout match.
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Why was Folarin Balogun’s goal overturned?
USA’s joy, however, was extremely short-lived. Referee Rafael Claus pointed towards the linesman, who had raised his flag to indicate offside.
Although it did not look like it in real time, replays showed that Balogun was in an offside position when McKennie played the pass. As a result, the goal was chalked off, much to the frustration of the clearly partisan crowd in the stadium.
Bosnia, meanwhile, got a huge reprieve in a match where they entered as big underdogs. However, they could not hold off the USMNT attack wave for long. Balogun finally found the back of the net in the 45th minute, putting his side ahead just before half-time.
Why was Folarin Balogun’s goal disallowed vs Bosnia & Herzegovina?
The goal was ruled out for offside. Balogun was ahead of the Bosnian defensive line when Weston McKennie played the pass.
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Sushruta has spent over two years covering football, with a particular focus on Indian and international competitions. Alongside football, he has reported on a variety of sports, bringing curiosity and perspective to every story. When he’s not following the action, he can usually be found binge-watching movies or getting lost in a good book.