John Harkes Urges FIFA to Scrap 1-Game Red Card Bans After Balogun Suspension

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jul 2

Folarin Balogun’s red card against Bosnia automatically rules him out of the United States’ next World Cup match, a decision John Harkes said should not carry into another game.
Harkes called the sending-off a “50/50” play and said one referee should not be able to alter multiple matches with a single call, especially in a tournament format.
FIFA’s 2026 World Cup rules leave the U.S. no recourse: referee decisions on play are final, and any direct or indirect red card triggers a suspension for the subsequent match.
Harkes tied the issue to his own 1994 World Cup experience, when yellow-card accumulation suspended him for the U.S. match against Brazil, saying the rule “crushed” him.
The U.S. now must replace a player Harkes described as perhaps its best performer so far ahead of Monday’s high-stakes knockout game.