The United States will take on Belgium Monday in the World Cup round of 16 without its leading scorer, as Folarin Balogun serves a one-match suspension stemming from a red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The suspension leaves a gap up top for a team that is still riding the high of its first World Cup knockout-round win in 24 years, and it raises an immediate question: Who scores the goals against a Belgian side that humiliated the Americans just months ago?
Ricardo Pepi and Patrick Agyemang, both used as forward options during the March friendly, are candidates to fill the void left by Balogun’s suspension. No confirmed lineup has emerged yet, with Mauricio Pochettino’s staff still focused on Wednesday’s aftermath before turning attention to Belgium.
What’s clear is that the Americans won’t have the luxury of easing into preparation. Pochettino now has to settle on a striker and decide how much to lean on Pepi’s finishing instincts versus Agyemang’s physical presence â without the player who has been the U.S. attack’s most reliable weapon all tournament.
Balogun’s Suspension and Red Card That Triggered It
Balogun put the United States ahead in the 45th minute Wednesday in Santa Clara, California, his third goal of the tournament. Malik Tillman added a second in the 82nd minute, and the Americans held on for a 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina, their first World Cup knockout victory since 2002.
But Balogun’s night turned in the 64th minute. Referee Raphael Claus went to the monitor, then showed the AS Monaco striker a straight red card for dragging his cleats down the back of defender Tarik MuharemoviÄ’s leg and onto his foot, according to ESPN‘s Sam Borden. Balogun looked stunned as he trudged off, and the U.S. finished the match with 10 men.
The automatic one-match ban means Balogun sits out Monday’s round of 16 match against Belgium in Seattle, according to ESPN. He’s the first U.S. men’s player sent off at a World Cup since 2006.
Reaction poured in fast. “Terrible call from the ref for an unintentional foul committed,” one fan wrote on social media shortly after the final whistle. Another predicted trouble ahead: “Beating Belgium without Balogun is going to be tough. Damn. Brutal red card,” as posted by X user rustyloveless95. A third called it “real damage” for a team that just lost its top goal scorer, according to a post from X user MehediMarof.
GettySANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA – JULY 01: Malik Tillman #17 of the United States scores his team’s second goal from a free kick during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 match between USA and Bosnia and Herzegovina at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium on July 01, 2026 in Santa Clara, California.
United States Faces Belgium After Brutal March Friendly
Belgium isn’t unfamiliar territory. The two sides met in a March friendly in Atlanta that turned into a rout, with Belgium scoring three second-half goals in a 5-2 defeat of the United States, according to Yahoo Sports‘s Steven Goff. Balogun started that match, and so did Christian Pulisic, as ninth-ranked Belgium overwhelmed a U.S. backline thinned by injuries.
That result is now part of the conversation heading into Seattle, even with the tournament stakes far higher than a spring exhibition. Belgium just eliminated Senegal in a comeback win of its own, a reminder that Monday’s opponent has shown it can dig out of trouble.
Not every fan sees Monday as a lost cause.
“This team is different from every USMNT of the past. More talented, more grit, better manager,” one supporter wrote on X, pointing to home-field advantage in Seattle as a reason for optimism, according to a post from user jared_liebelt18.
Betting markets reflect the uncertainty. Odds opened close to even on the Americans advancing despite Balogun’s absence, according to a market update posted on X by BET99Sportsbook, acknowledging Belgium as a difficult but not insurmountable test.
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