Patrick Mahomes outraged by what happened to the USMNT at World Cup
Folarin Balogun’s sending off against Bosnia sparked fury from major NFL stars
Patrick Mahomes speaks to the media during Kansas City Chiefs OTAs.
The USMNT reached the World Cup last 16 with a statement win, but the moment that traveled far beyond soccer was the one that left Patrick Mahomes, Jason Kelce and a wave of American fans asking the same question… How was Folarin Balogun sent off?
The United States beat Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-0 on Wednesday night at Levi’s Stadium, surviving the final stretch with 10 men after Balogun was shown a straight red card in the second half.
Chad Ochocinco rocks classic United States denim jersey
The decision came after Brazilian referee Raphael Claus was sent to the pitchside monitor by VAR, having initially allowed play to continue.
Balogun, who had scored the opener just before halftime, was challenging for a ball near the sideline when he landed awkwardly on Tarik Muharemovic, catching the defender’s leg and ankle with his studs.
Slow-motion replays made the contact look ugly, but many viewers felt the action was accidental rather than reckless. Mahomes, watching like much of the country, summed up the disbelief on X.
“Man, what……” Mahomes wrote. Kelce went further, openly questioning whether the decision met the standard for a red card.
“Man, somebody help me,” Kelce wrote. “That foul looked incidental from Balogun; shouldn’t a Red Card be given if there is either intention to foul, or an action that is aggressive and unsafe in nature?
“Didn’t feel like Balogun was out of control or anything, just looked like it kind of happened.”
Pochettino makes feelings clear
The controversy overshadowed what should have been a night centered on American resilience. After Balogun’s dismissal, Malik Tillman added a late free kick to seal the win and send the hosts into a round-of-16 meeting with Belgium.
But Mauricio Pochettino left no doubt about how he viewed the call.
“For me? Never a red card,” Pochettino said. “Never an intention to step on the player. It was a normal action in football that happened by accident.”
The USMNT coach said Balogun was badly affected by the decision, particularly after producing one of his strongest performances of the tournament.
“He’s very disappointed,” Pochettino said. “It was an action that wasn’t intention, he’s sad. We cannot do anything to change this feeling. This is soccer, this is football.”
Pochettino also suggested the Americans had been fighting the officiating all night.
“Today, you know 50/50 decisions? Not one goes for us,” Pochettino added. “The players reacted very well, we controlled the emotional part of the game.”
Belgium test comes without Balogun
The cost now becomes real. A straight red card brings an automatic one-match suspension, meaning Balogun is set to miss the Belgium match in Seattle on July 6.
That is a major setback for the United States. Balogun has scored three goals in the tournament and has become one of the team’s most important attacking outlets.
Still, the Americans showed they can survive adversity. The win ended a long World Cup losing run against European opposition and gave the hosts another surge of belief heading into the knockout rounds.
The red card won’t disappear from the conversation, especially with NFL stars amplifying the outrage to a much wider audience. But the USMNT cannot afford to stay trapped in the argument.
They have a last-16 match to prepare for, and they will have to do it without the striker at the center of the storm.
