Folarin Balogun enters World Cup folklore with historic red card

ByKehinde-Hassan Afolabi

United States forward Folarin Balogun has become only the fourth player in FIFA World Cup knockout history to score a goal and receive a red card in the same match.

United States forward Folarin Balogun etched his name into FIFA World Cup folklore during a dramatic 2-0 Round of 32 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The striker opened the scoring with his third goal of the tournament before being dismissed with a straight red card following a controversial video assistant referee review. This explosive sequence places the Monaco attacker in an incredibly exclusive historical group.

Only three other players in the tournament’s extensive knockout stage history have achieved the rare feat of scoring and being sent off in the same fixture.

Brazilian legends Garrincha and Ronaldinho accomplished it during the 1962 and 2002 editions, respectively. French maestro Zinedine Zidane was the most recent addition following his infamous dismissal in the 2006 World Cup final against Italy.

Kehinde-Hassan Afolabi is a football journalist whose deep tactical understanding of the game makes him a standout, captivating audiences across print, audio, and video. His poetic background brings a unique rhythm and depth to his work, seamlessly transforming analysis into artistry. With a knack for narration and research, he captures the drama of the game beyond tactics and statistics, making each piece of his; a compelling blend of insight and storytelling.

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