The United States reserved its place in the FIFA World Cup Round of 16 2026 in dramatic fashion as Malik Tillman fired in a sensational free-kick to seal a 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina after Folarin Balogun’s controversial red card threatened to derail the hosts’ campaign.With the Americans down to 10 men and Bosnia trying to equalize, Tillman’s moment of brilliance settled the contest and sparked wild celebrations at Levi’s Stadium.
Tillman’s stunning strike sealed the historic victory
The USA appeared to be in complete control after Balogun scored his third goal of the tournament just before halftime. However, the momentum changed dramatically in the 64th minute when the striker was shown a straight red card following a VAR review after catching Tarik Muharemovic on the ankle.Forced to play the final half hour with 10 men, the hosts were under increasing pressure before Tillman struck the winner in the 82nd minute.Standing over the free kick just outside the penalty area, the midfielder sent an excellent shot over the wall. Bosnia’s goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj managed to get hold of the ball, but only helped it into the net as the stadium erupted.Watch the goal here:Incredibly, Tillman changed his right boot shortly before taking the post after struggling with a bloody toe.“You never know when it’s going to happen. Today it happened,” Tillman said after scoring the USA’s first free kick goal in a World Cup since Eric Wynalda against Switzerland in 1994.
Pulisic praises fighting spirit after the drama with the red card
Captain Christian Pulisic praised the team’s resilience after surviving nearly 30 minutes with a player down.“We had to dig deep for it. It didn’t quite go to plan with the red card, but it just shows how good a team we are. We said in the rehydration break, you know, this is what it takes to be a really strong team. And we succeeded, Pulisic said after the match.Coach Mauricio Pochettino did not agree with Balogun’s dismissal and said: “For me? Never a red card.”Balogun will now miss the round of 16 clash against Belgium through suspension, but Tillman believes the squad has the strength to deal with it.“Of course he’s a great player. We have great players who can replace him, and give it their all, and hopefully score some nice goals,” Tillman said.The win gave the United States just their second knockout win at the Men’s World Cup and ended a 10-game winless streak against European opposition at the tournament. They will now face Belgium in Seattle on July 6, with a place in the quarter-finals.
