World Cup 'Screw-Up': Rubio Demands Appeal for Balogun's Red Card

America's Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, publicly expressed his strong dissatisfaction on Thursday, asserting that the United States' World Cup squad was 'screwed' following the contentious red card dismissal of their key forward, Folarin Balogun, during their match against Bosnia. Rubio's comments on the sporting controversy came a day after Balogun received the red card in the US's 2-0 victory. This decision means Balogun will now miss the team's crucial last-16 encounter with Belgium.

During a brief appearance in the White House briefing room, Rubio was questioned about the co-hosts' performance in the tournament. He responded, "It was great. They got screwed with that red card." He further added, "There needs to be an appeal process for that. It’s probably too late for that, right?" The top diplomat was leading a group on a tour at the time.

While sharing his views on the World Cup, President Donald Trump's diplomatic pointman declined to address questions concerning Lebanon and Iran, stating, "Guys I’m not here to talk about the news."

However, according to FIFA's official regulations, as communicated by a spokesman to journalists on Wednesday, Balogun's automatic suspension for the next match cannot be appealed. The incident occurred in the 64th minute of Wednesday's knockout game against Bosnia and Herzegovina, when Balogun was controversially judged, after a VAR review, to have stamped on the back of defender Tarik Muharemovic’s foot.

USA's Argentine coach, Mauricio Pochettino, voiced his strong disagreement after the match, insisting that Balogun, who netted the US opener in the game, should "never" have been shown a red card. Pochettino suggested it "should be fair" to appeal the decision, but also mentioned he would need to consider "different options" if an appeal isn't possible. Balogun, a New York-born player raised in England who currently plays for French club Monaco, has been a significant asset for the USA, scoring three goals this World Cup, making his absence a considerable blow to the team.