Quick Scoop: What Messi said about his red card (and how it’s being used

now in the US vs. Balogun debate)

Lionel Messi never said anything about a red card to someone named “Belugan” in US soccer. What actually happened is that:

  • Messi was sent off with a red card in a 2019 Copa América match versus Chile, and afterward he called the tournament “corrupt” and said referees and “corruption” stopped Argentina from reaching the final.
  • In the 2026 World Cup, American forward Folarin Balogun (sometimes misspelled online as “Belugan”) received a straight red card for a late tackle on Bosnia’s Tarik Muharemovic.
  • Fans and pundits then started comparing Balogun’s red to Messi’s 2019 red, asking why Messi didn’t get a red for his tackle on Aïssa Mandi in a different match, and using that as an argument about VAR inconsistency.

So the viral line you’re seeing is not Messi talking to a US player; it’s people quoting Messi’s 2019 outburst and then using it to criticize the Balogun red-card decision.

What Messi actually said after his 2019 red card

After Argentina’s 2–1 win over Chile in the 2019 Copa América, Messi was dismissed for a first-half shove with Gary Medel (both players got red cards). He refused to attend the medal ceremony and launched a scathing critique:

  • “There is no doubt, the whole thing is set up for Brazil.”
  • “I did not want to be part of this corruption, we shouldn’t have to be part of this disrespect we suffered during the Copa América.”
  • “Corruption, referees and all the rest stopped people from enjoying the football.”
  • “We leave with the feeling that they did not allow us to be in the final, that we were ready for better.”
  • “I feel a lot of anger because I think I did not deserve that red card because I think we were playing a very good game.”

He also said:

“We shouldn’t take part in this corruption.”

These quotes are the ones now floating around in forum discussions and memes when people compare Balogun’s red to Messi’s.

What actually happened with Balogun’s red card

In the United States’ 2–0 World Cup win over Bosnia and Herzegovina (July 2026):

  • Balogun (No. 20) went for the ball and his foot contacted the back of Muharemovic’s calf.
  • The referee, after a VAR review, issued a straight red card for “serious foul play”.
  • The decision was loudly booed by fans; Balogun looked shocked.
  • USMNT coach Mauricio Pochettino said after the match:

“For me, that was never a red card. There was no intention to harm the player. It was simply an unfortunate moment in football.”

He emphasized that the action was accidental and not intended to damage the opponent, so it should not have been a red.

Why people are dragging Messi into the Balogun debate

The comparison isn’t about Messi addressing Balogun; it’s about consistency :

  • Many fans and pundits point to Messi’s tackle on Aïssa Mandi (in a different match) where he was not given a red, and ask:

“If you give a red card here, the consistency, why is not Messi getting the red card?”

  • Articles and clips frame this as: “Why Balogun got a red card but Messi didn’t – and USA will pay the price vs Belgium”.
  • The underlying argument is that if similar challenges are treated differently, the system is inconsistent, and Messi’s 2019 “corruption” rant is used as a rhetorical shorthand for that frustration.

So the social media headline “what did Messi say about red card to Belugan US soccer” is actually a mix-up of:

  1. Messi’s 2019 “corruption” comments about Copa América referees.
  2. Balogun’s 2026 red card in US World Cup action.
  3. Online fans conflating the two to criticize VAR/referee consistency.

Bottom line

  • Messi never spoke directly to Balogun (or “Belugan”) about a red card in US soccer.
  • The quotes you’re seeing are Messi’s 2019 accusations of “corruption” and unfair refereeing at Copa América, repurposed by fans to argue that Balogun’s red was inconsistent with how Messi was treated in a different incident.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.