Lionel Messi and Folarin Balogun: USA National Team Dissatisfied with Referee's Decision

The USA national team's victory against Bosnia and Herzegovina was overshadowed by a controversial refereeing decision. The sending-off of forward Folarin Balogun sparked heated discussions among the football community. The main point of contention became the referees' differing treatment of a similar situation involving Lionel Messi. This was reported by Goal.com news reports.

In the 64th minute of the match between USA and Bosnia, Folarin Balogun stepped on the foot of opponent defender Tarik Muharemovic during a struggle for the ball. After a lengthy VAR review, the referee showed the forward a straight red card. Although the USA won 2-0, this dismissal left head coach Mauricio Pochettino and the players stunned.

Double Standards of Referees

Former footballer and expert Alexi Lalas compared the situation to an incident involving Lionel Messi on social media. He noted that in previous stages of the tournament, the Argentina captain had committed a similarly rough foul against Algeria, yet the referees didn't even issue a yellow card. Lalas believes that referees and the VAR system are more lenient toward star players.

According to The Athletic, Mauricio Pochettino openly expressed his dissatisfaction after the match. "For me, this is never a red card. The player had no intention of harming his opponent. This was a simple, accidental collision in football. Folarin is very devastated because he will miss the next important match," the coach said.

One of the team leaders, Weston McKennie, also stated that all the players in the dressing room were surprised by the decision. According to him, similar or even rougher situations involving other teams during the tournament have gone unpunished. The player emphasized that the referees' decision-making protocol is confusing and appears unfair.

This incident has once again brought to the forefront debates regarding the application of the VAR system and referee consistency in international tournaments. The "forgiveness" of stars like Lionel Messi and the severe punishment of young players are fueling doubts among fans and experts regarding officiating impartiality.