The United States booked their place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 in dramatic fashion as Malik Tillman produced a stunning 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 pushing for an equalizer, Tillman’s moment of brilliance settled the contest and sparked wild celebrations at Levi’s Stadium.
Tillman’s spectacular strike sealed the historic victory
The USA looked in complete control after Balogun scored his third goal of the tournament 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 came under increasing pressure before Tillman struck the decisive blow in the 82nd minute.Standing on top of a free-kick outside the penalty area, the midfielder held a good effort over the wall. Bosnia’s goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj managed to get a hand to the ball but could only help it into the net as the stadium erupted.See the goal here.Remarkably, Tillman changed his right boot before taking the set-piece 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 direct free-kick goal in a World Cup since Eric Wynalda against Switzerland in 1994.
Pulisic praised the fighting spirit after the red-card drama
Captain Christian Pulisic praised the strength of the team after surviving nearly 30 minutes with one person.“We had to dig deep for that. It didn’t exactly go to plan with the red card, but that shows what a good team we are. We said in the hydration break, you know, this is what it takes to be a strong team. And, we were able to do it,” said Pulisic after the game.Head coach Mauricio Pochettino, meanwhile, disagreed with Balogun’s dismissal, saying: “For me? No red card.”Balogun will miss the Round of 16 match against Belgium through suspension, but Tillman believes the squad has enough depth to cope.“Of course he’s a good player. We have good players who can replace him, and give the best they can, and hopefully score some good goals as well,” said Tillman.The win gave the United States just its second-ever men’s World Cup knockout win and snapped 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 quarterfinals at stake.