Ex-Referee Halsey Comments on Balogun's Red Card at World Cup 2026

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Former referee Mark Halsey has weighed in on the red card incident involving U.S. forward Folarin Balogun during the World Cup 2026 match against Bosnia and Herzegovina, which ended 2-0. Halsey drew comparisons to a similar incident involving Lionel Messi in Argentina's 3-0 win over Algeria, where Messi was not penalized for his foul. Halsey highlighted the inconsistency in the application of the rules, stating that Balogun's challenge, though accidental, was deemed dangerous enough to warrant a red card. "The VAR should have intervened," Halsey noted, emphasizing that Balogun's foot came down on the Bosnian player's Achilles with significant force. In contrast, Messi's challenge, which Halsey described as more severe, saw no such intervention from the officials. Halsey criticized the lack of consistency, arguing that both Messi and Balogun should have been sent off for their respective challenges.