Watch: Malik Tillman’s stunning free kick after Folarin Balogun’s red card sends USA into FIFA World Cup round of 16

American Malik Tillman (17) celebrates a goal from a free kick. (AP photo) The United States booked their place in the last 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in dramatic fashion as Malik Tillman produced 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 pushing for an equalizer, Tillman’s moment of brilliance settled the game and sparked wild celebrations at Levi’s Stadium.

Tillman’s stunning strike sealed the historic victory

After Balogun scored his third goal of the tournament just before halftime, the USA looked completely in control. 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.The home side were forced to play the final half hour with 10 men and came under increasing pressure before Tillman struck the winner in the 82nd minute.The midfielder, who was standing over the free kick just outside the penalty area, flipped it brilliantly over the wall. Bosnia goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj got to the ball with his hands, but helped it into the net after the stadium exploded.Watch the goal here:Notably, Tillman changed his right shoe shortly before taking the stage after dealing with a bloody toe.“You never know when it’s going to happen. It happened today,” Tillman said after scoring the USA’s first free kick goal at the World Cup since Eric Wynalda against Switzerland in 1994.

Pulisic praises fighting spirit after red card drama

Captain Christian Pulisic praised the team’s resilience after going almost 30 minutes without a man.“We had to dig deep for it. It didn’t quite go as planned with the red card, but that just shows what a good team we are. We said to ourselves in the hydration break, you know, this is what it takes to be a really strong team. And we did it,” Pulisic said after the game.Head coach Mauricio Pochettino, meanwhile, disagreed with Balogun’s sending off, saying: “For me? Never a red card.”Balogun will now miss the Round of 16 match against Belgium through suspension, but Tillman believes the squad has enough depth to cope with him.“Obviously he’s a great player. We’ve got great players who can replace him and give their best and hopefully score some nice goals as well,” Tillman said.The win gave the United States just their second World Cup knockout win in men’s history, snapping a 10-game winless streak against European opposition at the tournament. They will now face Belgium in Seattle on July 6, in the quarter-finals.