World Cup 2026: US advances to Round of 16, Balogun suspended, and other key moments from the night

The United States men's national soccer team has advanced to the Round of 16 in the 2026 World Cup, securing their spot with a 2-0 win against Bosnia-Herzegovina. The victory, achieved under the bright sun of Santa Clara and preceded by a flyover of four fighter jets, saw the US team live up to their favorite status against a Bosnian side featuring Edin Dzeko.

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After a brace in the opening match against Paraguay, Folarin Balogun scored his third goal of the tournament with a subtle strike from the left, after inheriting the ball with a bit of luck, two Bosnian defenders deflecting Malik Tillman's pass.

This progression marks a significant step for the US, who aim for a historic run after reaching the quarterfinals in 2022. Their next challenge is Belgium, who secured their own advancement earlier. The US team's mission to galvanize the nation around men's soccer, a sport still considered minor in the United States, continues. A key factor in their campaign has been the emergence of a prolific scorer.

Folarin Balogun, following up his opening match brace, netted his third goal of the tournament in the 45th minute. He capitalized on a fortunate deflection after a pass from Malik Tillman. Balogun had a chance to score earlier, hitting the crossbar in first-half stoppage time. Tillman later extended the lead in the 82nd minute with a direct free-kick.

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Malik Tillman, very inspired, finally delivered the stadium with a direct free-kick to the right of the goalkeeper in the 82nd minute.

Balogun's impactful performance was cut short in the 66th minute when he received a red card for an accidental but dangerous studs-up challenge on Tarik Muharemovic, leaving his team to play with ten men. Despite the numerical disadvantage, Bosnia-Herzegovina struggled to threaten the US goal. Coach Mauricio Pochettino will now have to strategize without Balogun, though he can rely on Christian Pulisic, who returned to the starting lineup after a calf injury.

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The attacker definitively left his mark on the match by crushing his studs on the back of Tarik Muharemovic's foot in the second half.