The United States booked their place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 in dramatic fashion as Malik Tillman produced a sensational free-kick to seal a 2-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina after Folarin Balogun’s controversial red card had threatened to derail the hosts’ campaign.With the Americans reduced to 10 men and Bosnia pushing for an equaliser, Tillman’s moment of brilliance settled the contest and sparked wild celebrations at Levi’s Stadium.
Tillman’s stunning strike seals historic win
The USA had looked in complete control after Balogun scored his third goal of the tournament just before halftime. However, the momentum shifted 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 delivered the decisive blow in the 82nd minute.Standing over a free-kick just outside the penalty area, the midfielder curled a superb effort over the wall. Bosnia goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj managed to get a hand to the ball but could only help it into the net as the stadium erupted.Watch the goal here:Remarkably, Tillman had changed his right boot shortly 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 at a World Cup since Eric Wynalda against Switzerland in 1994.
Pulisic hails fighting spirit after red-card drama
Captain Christian Pulisic praised the team’s resilience after surviving nearly 30 minutes a man down.“We had to dig deep for that one. It didn’t go exactly to plan with the red card, but that just shows what a good team we are. We said in the hydration break, you know, this is what it takes to be a really strong team. And, we were able to do it,” Pulisic said after the match.Head coach Mauricio Pochettino, meanwhile, disagreed with the dismissal of Balogun, 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 enough depth to cope.“Of course he’s a great player. We have great players who can replace him, and give the best they can, and hopefully score some nice goals as well,” Tillman said.The victory gave the United States only their second-ever men’s World Cup knockout win and snapped a 10-game winless run against European opposition at the tournament. They will now face Belgium in Seattle on July 6, with a quarterfinal place at stake.
