Folarin Balogun coaches referee through stretches after official cramps up during USA vs Australia match
The U.S. Men’s National Team is 2-0 at the 2026 World Cup after a gutsy 2-0 victory over the Socceroos; This wasn’t easy at times.
Not even for the authorities.
It was a hot day in Seattle, and it looks like that may have been why German referee Felix Zwayer went down with what appeared to be a cramp late in the game.
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FIFA referee Felix Zwayer gets help from Australia’s Aiden O’Neil and USMNT’s Folarin Balogun after what appears to be a cramp. (Photo: Ercin Ertürk/Anadolu, via Getty Images)
And in a scene you don’t see every day, I got some help from Australia’s Aiden O’Neill and US star Folarin Balogun, who scored the opening two goals against Paraguay and scored the first goal against Australia, taking an own goal from Cameron Burgess.
This isn’t something you see every day…
Zwayer got back to his feet after stretching with the help of Balogun and the FIFA medical team, while another referee ran up to him with a mysterious liquid – which I think might have been pickle juice, judging by his reaction – that he swallowed.
I’m sure Zwayer was a little embarrassed to go out on the field and be given an anti-cramp potion, but he shouldn’t be.
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All this was a reminder of how insanely fit football referees have to be.
FIFA referee Felix Zwayer’s collapse with cramps was a reminder of how physically demanding it is to be a football referee. (Photo: Sarah Stier – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
The fact that referees run miles every game is one of those fun facts that you hear from time to time and forget about until the next time you hear it and say, “Yeah, that’s right, I heard that somewhere.”
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There’s a prime example of the physicality involved.
This isn’t just taking notes on the back of a card you hold up to a guy’s face.
