Why Balogun's goal was offside but Freeman's stood at World Cup

DIRECT ANSWER: Folarin Balogun's goal against Bosnia was disallowed because offsides soccer rules found him ahead of the second-last defender when Weston McKennie played the pass—only goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj stood between him and goal. Alex Freeman's Australia strike stood after FIFA's review showed two defenders ahead of him when Sergiño Dest kicked the ball.

Key Takeaways

• Balogun was ruled offside by a razor-thin margin in the U.S. Round of 32 win over Bosnia.
• Freeman was onside at the kick point; teammates in offside spots never touched the ball.
• Semi-automated technology reviews every goal and consequential offside call at the 2026 World Cup.
• Only scorable body parts count—not arms or hands.
• Standing offside is legal until a player becomes actively involved in play.

Why Was Folarin Balogun's Goal Ruled Offside?

During the United States' 2-0 Round of 32 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina, Folarin Balogun thought he had opened the scoring in the first half. Weston McKennie won possession and played Balogun through on goal. The striker finished into the net, but the assistant referee's flag was already raised.

Replays confirmed Balogun had strayed beyond the Bosnian defensive line when McKennie released the pass. At that moment, only goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj stood between Balogun and the goal—one defender short of what the law requires.

As Yahoo Sports reported, the margin was extraordinarily tight. Under the offside rule, only body parts that can legally score count. If Balogun's feet and midsection had been level with the defender but his arm trailed behind, he would have been onside.

The United States had two goals called back for offside in that match. Balogun's disallowed strike was among them, and the call held up under FIFA's semi-automated review system.

Why Was Alex Freeman's Goal Allowed After the Flag Went Up?

The contrast came earlier in the tournament, during the U.S. group's 2-0 win over Australia. Sergiño Dest struck from the edge of the box; the shot was blocked and looped into the air. Freeman beat Balogun to the loose ball and headed it home. The assistant referee immediately flagged for offside, and players jogged back assuming the goal was wiped out.

FIFA's automatic review process then intervened. Camera data showed Freeman had two Australian defenders between himself and the goal when Dest made contact with the ball. The deflection did not reset the offside clock—the kick point is what matters.

Antonee Robinson and Balogun were also in offside positions when Dest struck the ball. Neither touched it, challenged a defender, nor otherwise became active in play. Under the Laws of the Game, passive offside players are irrelevant. Only Freeman—the player who scored—mattered, and he was onside.

How Does Offside Technology Work at the 2026 World Cup?

Confusion around these calls has made offsides soccer one of the tournament's most debated topics. As the Christian Science Monitor notes, a player is offside when closer to the opponent's goal line than both the ball and the second-to-last defender at the moment a teammate plays the pass. You cannot be offside in your own half.

At this World Cup, semi-automated offside technology draws straight lines across the pitch using stadium cameras, sometimes detecting margins within millimeters. Every goal and consequential offside call is automatically reviewed. Assistant referees may delay raising the flag to let play develop, knowing the technology will verify tight calls afterward.

For a deeper look at how offside is enforced at this tournament, see The Athletic's explainer. Similar VAR drama has fueled other sports mysteries covered in our True Crime & Unsolved Mysteries section. The verdict on both U.S. goals is clear: Balogun was offside at the pass; Freeman was not at the kick point.