Balogun sent off by Raphael Claus: who replaces the USA's top scorer against Belgium?
Raphael Claus red-carded Balogun in the 2–0 win over Bosnia. The Americans' leading scorer and fastest attacker will miss the knockout clash against Belgium.
The victory was there. So was the ticket to the round of sixteen. But what lingered in the air after the United States' 2–0 win over Bosnia was an uncomfortable question: how is Pochettino going to play without Folarin Balogun?
In the 64th minute, Brazilian referee Raphael Claus was called to the VAR monitor, reviewed a stamp by Balogun on Muharemovic, and had no hesitation — straight red card. A controversial call, but a final one. And the Monaco striker will be watching the clash against Belgium from the stands.
The problem is that Balogun is no ordinary piece. He is the USA's outright top scorer at the 2026 World Cup, with three goals. According to SofaScore data, he leads the American attacking unit in shots, averaging 3.7 per game. He is also the attack's primary weapon in terms of pace — reaching 35.6 km/h during the tournament.
Remove that player from a knockout tie and you remove Plan A, Plan B, and most of Plan C.
The match against Belgium takes place next Monday at 21:00 (Brasília time) in Seattle. A place in the quarter-finals is at stake — and for the Americans it carries the flavour of historic revenge.
Golmetria's model gives the USA a 34% chance of reaching the quarter-finals. Without Balogun, that figure faces its toughest test yet. In the market, the odds reflect scepticism: the implied probability of an American title sits at around 1.6%.
Pochettino has until Monday to find an answer. Belgium will know exactly where to press.