The Exclusive List That Folarin Balogun Joined With His Goal Against Bosnia and Herzegovina

Folarin Balogun continues to make his mark at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The United States striker has now scored three goals in the tournament: a brace against Paraguay in the group stage and another goal in the Round of 32 clash against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

However, his performance ended on a sour note. After finding the back of the net, Balogun was sent off, becoming just the fourth player in FIFA World Cup history to score a goal and receive a red card in a knockout-stage match.

A List Reserved for Legends

The first player on this exclusive list was Ronaldinho at the 2002 FIFA World Cup in Korea and Japan. In the quarterfinal against England, the Brazilian produced one of the most memorable goals in tournament history, catching David Seaman off guard with a stunning free kick. Minutes later, though, he committed a reckless challenge on an opponent, prompting Mexican referee Felipe Ramos Rizo to show him a straight red card.

The suspension forced him to miss the semifinal against Turkey, but he returned for the final against Germany, where Brazil captured its fifth FIFA World Cup title.

The second case belongs to Garrincha at the 1962 FIFA World Cup in Chile. In the semifinal against the host nation, "The Joy of the People" scored twice in Brazil's 4-2 victory to secure a place in the final. However, in the 84th minute, he was sent off following an incident with a Chilean defender.

The suspension threatened to derail Brazil's title hopes, especially with Pelé already sidelined by injury since the group stage. The concern was so great that Brazilian officials appealed to FIFA, which ultimately allowed Garrincha to play in the final. With their star back in the lineup, Brazil defeated Czechoslovakia to lift the FIFA World Cup once again.

Zidane's Infamous Exit and Balogun's New Place in History

The third member of this unusual club is Zinedine Zidane, whose case is arguably the most famous of them all. In the 2006 FIFA World Cup final in Berlin, the French captain opened the scoring with an unforgettable Panenka penalty against Gianluigi Buffon.

Shortly afterward, Marco Materazzi equalized, sending the match into extra time. It was then that the two players became involved in a confrontation that ended with Zidane's infamous headbutt on the Italian defender. Argentine referee Horacio Elizondo showed the French legend a red card, forcing him to leave the field in the final match of his professional career. France eventually lost the final to Italy in a penalty shootout, making Zidane the only player on this list who did not finish the tournament as a world champion.

Now, Folarin Balogun joins that exclusive group. The United States forward scored in the victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina, but was later sent off and will miss the next match against Belgium, a significant blow for the attack of Mauricio Pochettino's side.

With only four names in nearly a century of FIFA World Cup history, Balogun has earned a place on one of the tournament's rarest and most unusual lists.