The United States secured a 2-0 victory over Bosnia to book its place in the Round of 16, but the match was overshadowed by a controversial red card shown to forward Folarin Balogun.
The incident occurred in the 64th minute when Balogun, while attempting to control the ball, caught Bosnia defender Tarik Muharemovic on the ankle with his boot.
Following a lengthy Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review, the referee issued Balogun a straight red card, reducing the United States to 10 men.
US head coach Mauricio Pochettino defended his striker after the match, saying Balogun had no intention of injuring his opponent and describing the challenge as entirely accidental.
The decision has since sparked widespread debate on social media. Former US international Alexi Lalas shared footage of a previous challenge involving Lionel Messi, arguing that a similar incident did not result in a booking.
Lalas questioned the consistency of officiating, asking why one player received a straight red card while another escaped punishment under comparable circumstances.
The comparison fueled online criticism of the refereeing, with users sharing clips and images of both incidents while accusing officials of applying inconsistent standards.
Some social media users also alleged that Messi has received preferential treatment from FIFA, although no evidence has been presented to support those claims.
More read, US beats Bosnia 2-0 to reach FIFA World Cup round of 16
The incident has added to growing debate over several contentious VAR decisions during the tournament, with critics questioning the consistency and transparency of officiating.
