Folarin Balogun of the United States was sent off for stamping on the back of an opponent's leg during a World Cup Round of 32 match, while Argentina's Lionel Messi escaped any punishment for a nearly identical foul earlier in the tournament, igniting widespread anger over the inconsistent use of VAR.
Balogun's Red Card Incident
The incident occurred in the second half of Wednesday's match in Santa Clara, California, as Balogun and Bosnian defender Tarik Muharemovic contested an incoming ball. Balogun clumsily stepped on Muharemovic's calf, and a foul was called. After a VAR review, Balogun received a red card, forcing the U.S. to play the remainder of the game with 10 men and ruling out their top scorer for a Round of 16 clash with Belgium.
Comparisons to Messi's Unpunished Foul
The decision drew immediate comparisons to an earlier World Cup match where Lionel Messi committed a similar stamping motion without any sanction. Former U.S. star Herculez Gomez criticized the inconsistency on ESPN, saying: “With the circumstantial action, you put it into slow motion, you put it into freeze frame, you take it into VAR, and it looks terrible. It looks like he comes across the Achilles tendon of his opponent and it’s an easy red to dissect. The problem here is that VAR is so inconsistent, FIFA is so inconsistent. What’s good for the goose isn’t good for the gander.”
Fans and Pundits React
Social media erupted with comparisons, including a post by Jon Root that showed Messi’s similar foul without a card, captioned: “Messi didn’t get a red card for this. But, Balogun got a red card. Make it make sense, FIFA…” Gomez added: “(Lionel) Messi does this — and it’s low-hanging fruit, Messi’s one of a few players that have done this action and it doesn’t get called. It’s not even a foul, there’s no card. Folarin Balogun does this, it gets reviewed, and when you put it under review, you slow it down, when you go picture by picture, obviously there’s contact. He comes across the Achilles and you’re going to red card him. The problem isn’t that this is a red card. It’s that it’s so inconsistent that it leaves fans and us pundits frustrated.”
Impact on the Tournament
The U.S. managed to hold on to defeat Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-0, but now face Belgium, which produced a shocking 3-2 win in extra time after trailing Senegal with just four minutes remaining. The controversy has overshadowed the U.S. victory and raised questions about VAR's role in the tournament.
