World Cup 2026: Was video replay misused to give red card to USMNT's Folarin Balogun?

Was video review improperly used to determine that United States striker Folarin Balogun deserved a red card for his foul on Bosnia and Herzegovina's Tarik Muharemović?Balogun was sent off in the 64th minute of the USMNT's 2-0 win in the World Cup Round of 32 on Wednesday night. As he and Muharemović jockeyed for position for a ball bouncing towards them, Balogun stepped on the back of Muharemović’s leg.

The step appeared accidental — Balogun was looking straight ahead at the time and was a bit off-balance. But slow-motion replays made the step look brutal. And it's an open question if those slowed-down replays should have been available to referee Raphael Claus as he decided to eject Balogun from the game and give him an ensuing one-game suspension.

Claus did not call a foul as the play happened in real time. The whistle only blew when the ball had gone out of play before Claus motioned for Bosnia and Herzegovina's training staff to come onto the field.As Muharemović was on the ground in pain and Balogun was getting an apparent right leg cramp stretched out, video referees reviewed the play and VAR official Juan Soto told Claus to go to the monitor to look at the foul himself.

According to VAR rules, "The VAR can 'check' the footage in normal speed and/or in slow motion, but, in general, slow motion replays should only be used for facts, e.g. position of offense/player, point of contact for physical offenses and handball, ball out of play (including goal/no goal); normal speed should be used for the 'intensity' of an offense or to decide if it was a handball offense."

The replays that Claus saw on the monitor next to the field were shown to viewers on the FIFA broadcast and the second replay of Balogun's foul is slowed down dramatically. After that replay, another slow-motion replay is frozen at the moment that Muharemović’s ankle is turned sideways on the ground.The word "should" in the rule above is not a clear synonym for "must," but it sure seems like the replays w