Brittany Mahomes joined the chorus of football fans angry at the superstar’s red card Folarin Balogun during Team USA’s Round of 16 game against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“That was some bulls***… All I have to say #USA 🇺🇸,” Mahomes, 30, wrote via her Instagram story on Wednesday, July 1st.
Balogun, 24, received the controversial red card in the second half of Wednesday’s game after making contact with the Bosnian defender Tarik Muharemovic and stepped on his ankle.
The play was marked by a video assistance review (VAR) leading to the referee Raphael Claus take a look. Claus eventually gave Balogun a red card for a “serious foul”, which made him ineligible to play for the rest of the game.
Additionally, Balogun – who leads Team USA with three goals at the 2026 World Cup, including the first goal on Wednesday night – will also not be allowed to participate in the Round of 16 against Belgium on Monday, July 6.
According to FIFA guidelines, a team cannot appeal a red card or subsequent suspension.
Despite the loss to Balogun, the Americans won 2-0.
“For me? Never a red card,” Team USA head coach Mauricio Pochettino said after the game. “Never intended to step on the player. It was a normal action in football that happened accidentally.”
Pochettino, 54, said Balogun was “very disappointed” by the call.
“It was an action that was not intentional, he is sad,” he added. “There’s nothing we can do to change that feeling. That’s football, that’s football. He’ll definitely help us perform and hopefully we can get to the next round so he’ll be available again.”
Months before representing the United States on one of sport’s biggest stages, Team USA star Christian Pulisic was embroiled in a bitter breakup with his ex-girlfriend Alexa Melton. Melton – a 25-year-old professional golfer – suggested on social media in April that Pulisic, 27, had joined a dating app before their relationship took place (…)
The red card sparked strong reactions throughout the sports world, including from Brittany’s husband, the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
“Man what……” wrote Patrick, 30 about X on Wednesday evening.
Jason Kelce added about X“Man, someone help me. Balogun’s foul looked accidental. Shouldn’t there be a red card if there was either intent to foul or an aggressive and unsafe act? I didn’t feel like Balogun was out of control or anything, it just looked like it happened somehow.”
Team USA, without Balogun, will play Belgium on July 6 at 8 p.m. If they win, Balogun would be eligible to return for the team’s quarterfinal game on July 10.
