According to The Athletic, American striker Balogun viciously stomped on Bosnian defender Tarik Muharemovic's right ankle during a match, an incident that ultimately became one of the most controversial controversies in World Cup history.
After reviewing the video replay in slow motion, the referee showed Balogun a red card. The US team won the round of 32, and according to standard rules, the striker should have missed the subsequent match against Belgium. However, then-US President Donald Trump was extremely dissatisfied with the decision and directly called FIFA President Gianni Infantino, demanding a review of the decision.
Infantino claimed the disciplinary committee acted independently, but the committee subsequently made an unusual decision to suspend Balogun's ban.
Suddenly, Muharemovic unexpectedly gained a lot of attention, and a video of his deformed ankle even reached the White House. "After that scramble, the media went completely crazy," Muharemovic told The Athletic. "I was in every media report. But in the end, we all know he (Balogun) didn't do it on purpose, he was just unlucky."
“I can only thank God that I wasn’t injured, and that’s the most important thing. It hurt a lot at the time, and I was very scared because the pain was very intense, but after I stood up, I found that I was fine.”
Mujaremovic's rapid recovery was crucial, not only because he was competing in the World Cup, but also because numerous teams were pursuing him this summer.
He ultimately joined Leeds United from Italian side Sassuolo for €40 million (approximately £34.1 million, $46.7 million). This transfer fee made him the third most expensive signing in Leeds United's history, behind only Rutte and Trafford, and a much-needed reinforcement for the team. The 1.93-meter-tall left-footed centre-back will fill the vacancy left by Struijk's £18 million move to Brighton in June.
This is yet another success for Leeds United's transfer team, led by sporting director Adam Underwood, in their long-term planning.
Leeds United scouted Mojaremovic for an entire season and expressed their interest in him in March. This move is similar to their acquisition of Shane Longstaff from Newcastle United last summer: in early spring of the 2024-25 season, Leeds United informed the player's team that Longstaff would be their top midfield target if the team achieved promotion that season.
Mojaremovic spent four years at Juventus before moving to Serie B side Sassuolo in 2024, when he had other options. Sunderland made a last-minute pursuit, and his performances in Italy attracted the attention of several top clubs – he helped Sassuolo gain promotion and made 32 appearances in Serie A last season.
“Juventus’ interest wasn’t very strong, but I’m grateful to all the teams that have shown interest in me,” Mujaremovic said. “Inter Milan was also interested in signing me, but I ultimately decided to come to the best league in the world.”
"After the World Cup, I discussed it with my agent and family. I got a list of all the clubs that were interested and felt that Leeds United was the best choice for me. I could feel their desire for me and I knew how much effort they had put in and how much sincerity they had shown in signing me. I really appreciated the club's plans. They showed me the whole plan: what goals they wanted to achieve in the future, how to lead the club back to its rightful place, and they gave me a complete presentation."
"Later, head coach Falk told me that he needed a player who would give his all for the team and fight from the first second to the last second of the game. That's the kind of player I am. I defend with all my might on the field, whether I use my feet or my head, it doesn't matter. I just want to protect the goal and help the team."
The 23-year-old Mujaremovic already has extensive overseas experience and is fluent in English. He was born in Slovenia, moved to Austria with his family as a child, and joined Juventus at the age of 18.
Although he initially played for Juventus' youth academy, he learned a great deal from football legends at the Turin training ground. Experienced defenders Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini, nearing the end of their careers, still possessed a formidable fighting spirit that instilled fear in their opponents. Former teammate Morata once described training against Chiellini as "walking into a cage and snatching food from a hungry gorilla."
“I am very grateful for this professional experience,” Muharemovic said. “As a young player coming here, they will give you a lot of help. It is difficult to break into the first team at Juventus, but when you train with them, they will take the initiative to talk to you, especially the defenders, and will personally teach you how to defend.”
“The first time I went to the first team training, I went to the gym first. Since I didn’t know where to go, I went in first and waited for the other players to come. As soon as I got on the exercise bike, I saw Dybala, Chiellini and Bonucci walk in one after another. They are all big names. It felt like a movie.”
“I will observe them closely. I really like Chiellini’s celebration after every sliding tackle and every challenge. I have also watched a lot of videos of my idols’ games, such as Bosnian defender Emil Spahić, who always celebrates with great fighting spirit.”
When asked if this tough defensive style would affect opponents, he laughed and said, "Maybe, a lot of forwards will get annoyed by it, and that would make me even happier."
Mohamed Muharemovic, with his cheerful and energetic personality, should adapt well to the atmosphere at Elland Road. He even scored a bicycle kick goal in the 4-0 preseason victory against Augsburg. He expressed his anticipation for facing off against top Premier League strikers. "I'm looking forward to every single one," he said with a smile, "Haaland, and Benjamin Sesco from Manchester United. We all know the Premier League is tough, but we're not afraid of any opponent; we just want to play, give it our all, and especially fight for this club."
Prior to this, Muharemovic had already experienced the fervor of the stadium. In March of this year, he delivered a stellar performance in Bosnia and Herzegovina's World Cup qualifier against Italy, helping his team secure a victory and qualifying for the World Cup finals for the second time in their history. For a country with a population of approximately 3 million, this is a remarkable achievement.
“To this day, I still feel like it was a dream,” Muharemovic said. “Our achievement was one of the most wonderful nights that the whole country, all the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina, have ever experienced, no matter where they were. We knew that if we won the game, the whole city would go wild, and the atmosphere was amazing.”
"After the match, we drove to downtown Sarajevo, where more than 100,000 people had gathered. You can imagine how crazy it was."
In the World Cup, Bosnia and Herzegovina advanced from the group stage but were subsequently eliminated by the United States; Muharemovic was sent off with a red card in the group stage loss to Switzerland.
When asked if the team had reached its full potential, he said, "No, I think we could have done better. We showed a very high level of performance and form in the qualifiers against Wales and Italy, but we didn't play like that in the World Cup. Overall, the performance was okay, but we could have achieved better results."
"However, I am still very happy. We made history by advancing from the group stage. It is incredible to have done something like this."
Since joining Leeds United, he has been watching videos related to the atmosphere at Elland Road Stadium.
“The scene was crazy, it was amazing,” he said. “Joining the Premier League was a dream come true for me. All players know that the Premier League is the best league in the world, the most entertaining and exciting, because every team has a chance to beat any opponent.”
