Zlatan Ibrahimović has publicly suggested that the red card shown to Folarin Balogun was a harsh, overly strict decision, in line with his usual criticism of modern refereeing and VAR when he feels they “kill” the flow and spirit of the game.

Quick Scoop

In a recent hit of studio and social media reaction to the USA–Bosnia World Cup match, Zlatan’s take mirrored a lot of fans: he felt the dismissal was a bad call and that what happened between Balogun and the defender looked more like a normal physical duel than a moment of true violent intent. Commentators and reports around the incident describe it as a controversial VAR intervention where slow-motion replays exaggerated the contact and pushed the referee toward red, something Zlatan has been vocal about disliking in the past.

“That red card was such a bad call imo.” – a widely shared reaction in the same Fox Sports/TikTok discussion where Zlatan’s comments were being circulated.

What Happened To Balogun?

  • Folarin Balogun scored the opener for the US against Bosnia in a World Cup knockout match before being sent off in the second half.
  • The red card came after a tussle with defender Tarik Muharemovic, with Balogun’s leg scraping down the Bosnian’s calf in a challenge that the on-field referee initially did not even whistle for as a foul.
  • VAR called the referee to the monitor, showed the incident in super slow motion, and the decision was upgraded straight to red for serious foul play.

Reports underline that the US then had to play roughly the final 25 minutes with ten men, turning what had been a comfortable situation into a tense, backs-to-the-wall finish.

Zlatan’s Angle On The Red

Zlatan’s reaction slots neatly into a longer pattern of his views on refereeing and modern football:

  • The Balogun decision has been described in fan and media chatter around Zlatan’s segment as a “bad call” and an overly harsh interpretation of a coming-together.
  • Zlatan has a history of blasting what he sees as soft or over-officiated red cards; for example, he once said Chelsea players acted “like babies” around the referee after his own sending off in a Champions League match, arguing that modern players and officials make the game too delicate.
  • In other recent comments, he has criticized bizarre red cards and refereeing standards more broadly, accusing governing bodies and officials of taking the edge and personality out of the game.

Put together, his stance on Balogun fits his usual theme: physical battles are part of football, and VAR-driven slow-motion scrutiny should not turn routine contact into game-changing reds.

Why It’s A Big Talking Point

  • The match was a World Cup knockout game on home soil for the US, so every refereeing call has been under a microscope.
  • Balogun is one of the USA’s headline attackers, and losing him to suspension for at least one match is a major story in itself.
  • The decision sparked quick comparisons to how stars like Lionel Messi have sometimes been treated more leniently in similar borderline situations, feeding a narrative of “one rule for some, another for others.”

Zlatan, who’s never shied away from calling out what he sees as double standards, taps straight into that discourse: in his view, if football is a contact sport, Balogun’s clash should not have been enough to leave his team down a man in such a massive game.

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