REUTERS/Phil Noble TPX
Folarin Balogun of the U.S. is shown a red card by referee Raphael Claus
On Wednesday, the United States beat Bosnia and Herzegovina to advance in the World Cup in a match shrouded in controversy thanks to the red card that led to Folarin Balogun being sent off. Raphael Claus, the referee overseeing the game, came under the microscope as some fans claimed he was previously investigated for match-fixing, but those accusations don’t really stand up to any scrutiny.
The United States was viewed as the favorite to beat Bosnia and Herzegovina in their first knockout round game at the World Cup on Thursday, and they were able to do exactly that by securing a 2-0 victory.
Folarin Balogun opened up the scoring in the 45th minute, but things took a brutal turn in the second half when he made contact with Tarik Muharemovic’s ankle during a tackle attempt. It didn’t seem like a particularly egregious challenge at first glance, but the challenge led to a VAR review that resulted in head referee Raphael Claus pulling out a red card.
Was this worthy of a red card? 🟥 pic.twitter.com/WfrIxMRNMD
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) July 2, 2026
The United States was still able to get the win despite playing the rest of the match down a man, but the ruling meant Balogun will be suspended from their showdown with Belgium (there is no appeal process capable of overturning it).
American soccer fans were understandably apopleptic about the call, which seemed like it could possibly merit a yellow before the red was deployed.
The fact that Lionel Messi didn’t receive any kind of card for a similar tackle against Algeria was another point of contention, as was the fact that VAR seemed to overstep its bounds by deploying slow-motion replay in a situation where it’s not typically merited.
Claus was quickly subjected to a tsunami of scrutiny, but if you’ve come across claims concerning a history of corruption, you’ve been misled.
World Cup referee Raphael Claus doesn’t have a history of corruption despite claims about his links to a scandal in Brazil
Claus was one of the 52 head referees FIFA tapped to officiate during the 2026 World Cup, and it goes without saying you don’t stumble into working games on soccer’s biggest stage.
The 46-year-old Brazilian got his start as a ref for the São Paulo Football Federation (where his father and brother both played), and he headed into the tournament with more than a decade of experience on the FIFA circuit after making his World Cup debut in Qatar in 2022.
There is nothing sports fans love more than convincing themselves the system is rigged when things fail to go their way, so it was only natural that plenty of jilted Americans made it their mission to find evidence to support that particular narrative after Balogun fell victim to the red card.
A number of internet sleuths seemed convinced they had found some after coming across an article concerning a match-fixing investigation that was conducted in Brazil in 2024, one where Claus was summoned to testify in front of the Commission of Inquiry for the Manipulation of Games and Sports Betting in the Brazilian Senate.
Brazilian FIFA referee Rafeal Claus – who gave the US a ridiclous red card today – was accused of match fixing by “irregular red cards” in Brazil’s Series A in 2023.
Claus had to testify in the investigation, but evaded charges bc of no direct evidence. FIFA stays corrupt AF. pic.twitter.com/6fY7tiHreB
— Dataracer (@Dataracer117) July 2, 2026
The hearing in question concerned suspicious betting activity surrounding a Serie B match between Tombense and Londrina that unfolded in 2023, which was “related to the number of yellow and red cards during the game, especially bets made by people from the same region as the referee who played in the match.”
However, as the article that is framed as the smoking gun notes, Claus was invited because of his reputation and experience while serving as a well-respected arbitrator who was primarily there to “provide clarifications” for the committee.
The panel also investigated bribery allegations surrounding referee Glauber do Amaral Cunha, who was allegedly caught on tape talking about fixing a Campeonato Carioca match in Rio de Janeiro.
As the article notes, there were initially some rumors that Claus was the man who was recorded, but a senator denied “allegations that the leaked audio of the alleged bribery was from Raphael Claus, highlighting that it is unfair to associate Claus with this incident.”
It is certainly fair to complain about the card Claus handed out, but claims about his impropriety in the past are simply not based in reality.