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U.S. men’s national team star Folarin Balogun thought he got the Americans on the board against Bosnia-Herzegovina in their World Cup match Wednesday earlier than he did.
Balogun’s first shot into the back of the net was called back for offside. The next opportunity would not be denied to him.
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Folarin Balogun of the United States celebrates after scoring the first goal during the FIFA World Cup round of 32 match between the United States and Bosnia in Santa Clara, Calif., near San Francisco, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
As half-time approached, Balogun found a hole in the Bosnian defense and received a nice pass from Malik Tillman. Balogun took advantage of his opportunity and scored. Balogun paid tribute to LeBron James, celebrating with the NBA star’s “silent” gesture.
The United States took a 1-0 lead into halftime and was just over 45 minutes away from advancing to the round of 16.
Balogun has scored three goals in the tournament so far.
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Folarin Balogun (20) of the United States celebrates after scoring the first goal during FIFA World Cup 32 between the United States and Bosnia in Santa Clara, California, near San Francisco, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (Associated Press)
The United States came in with some momentum even though they lost their final group stage match to Turkey last week. Balogun spoke about the team’s state of mind heading into the round of 16.
“The game will be about us, what we are willing to do and what we need to do moving forward,” Balogun said. “This is the crunch time. This is the end of business, and this is the stage where, in my opinion, the big players step forward and the big players carry the pressure and make things happen.”
Folarin Balogun of the United States, Amar Dedic of Bosnia and Herzegovina during the World Cup match between the United States and Bosnia and Herzegovina at San Francisco Bay Stadium on July 1, 2026 in the San Francisco Bay Area of the United States. (Eric Verhoeven/Soccrates/Getty Images)
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The United States reached the semifinals of the first World Cup in 1930 by winning their group. Their only knockout victory came in the 2002 tournament, when they beat Mexico in the round of 16. This year the tournament expanded to 48 nations, which meant an additional knockout stage.
