The United States Soccer Federation condemned the online racist abuse directed at several of its players following a 2-1 defeat by Panama at the Copa America.
Monaco striker Folarin Balogun, Crystal Palace defender Chris Richards, and Juventus duo Timothy Weah and Weston McKennie were targeted online after the hosts lost the Group C match in Atlanta.
Weah, 24, received a straight red card in the 18th minute for punching Panama’s Roderick Miller in the head during an off-the-ball incident. The former Lille winger apologized to his teammates for the incident, calling it a “moment of frustration.”
US Soccer said in a statement on X: “There is absolutely no place in the game for such hateful and discriminatory behaviour.
“These actions are not only unacceptable but also contrary to the values of respect and inclusivity that we uphold as an organisation.”
Despite Panama’s numerical advantage, the US took the lead at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium with a superb strike from Balogun, marking his fifth goal in 14 appearances for the US. However, the lead lasted just four minutes as Cesar Blackman equalized from the edge of the box for Panama, ranked 43rd in the FIFA world rankings.
The US, ranked 11th, defended admirably, but Panama’s pressure paid off seven minutes from time as Jose Fajardo scored from close range. Shortly before full-time, Panama was also reduced to 10 men when Adalberto Carrasquilla received a red card for a reckless swipe at winger Christian Pulisic.
As co-hosts of the 2026 men’s World Cup with Canada and Mexico, the US now sits level on points with Panama heading into their final group match against Uruguay on 2 July at 02:00 BST. With a better goal difference, the US needs to match Panama’s result against Bolivia to advance to the last 16.