A photograph from Domino's showing their Red card offering.
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Red Card Relief: Folarin Balogun’s World Cup Penalty Sparks Massive $1M Domino’s Pizza Giveaway

  • The Penalty: United States striker Folarin Balogun received a straight red card in the 64th minute of the USA’s FIFA World Cup Round of 32 knockout match against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
  • The Silver Lining: The ejection officially triggered a pre-announced promotional pledge from Domino’s Pizza, unlocking a massive $1 million giveaway consisting of more than 60,000 free medium two-topping “Emergency Pizzas.”
  • Moving On: Despite playing down to 10 men for the final half-hour, the US squad dug deep to secure a 2-0 victory, booking their progression to the World Cup Round of 16 for the first time in 24 years.

Well…at least you can laugh away the pain with pizza. A tense moment on the pitch has turned into something of a consolation prize for thousands of American soccer fans. During the United States Men’s National Team’s high-stakes World Cup Round of 32 knockout clash against Bosnia and Herzegovina, star striker Folarin Balogun was handed a straight red card in the 64th minute, and while the ejection left fans fuming, it also officially unlocked Domino’s Pizza’s highly anticipated “$1 Million Emergency Pizza for Red Cards” promotional campaign.

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Free Pizza to Soften the Blow

Back in May, Domino’s promised that if any player on the American squad were sent off the pitch with a red card, the chain would distribute more than 60,000 free medium, two-topping pizzas to help fans “ease the pain” of a disadvantage on the field. They’ve now made due on that promise, as following Balogun’s ejection, the company immediately followed through on the marketing vow. Registered fans who signed up for the promotional event prior to the June 10 tournament deadline have already begun noticing the free “Emergency Pizza” vouchers landing directly in their Domino’s Rewards app accounts.

Or as Domino’s themselves said via their Instagram, “A promise is a promise for those that signed up… Hope the free Emergency Pizza softens the blow & makes the win taste even better tho.”

How to Get the Reward

There is a catch, however, as the promotion is only applicable to customers who signed up in May and June and are rewards members. That said, if this applies to you, then you may want to check your email to see if you have a free medium pizza waiting for you (20 percent off, if you choose that route).

Fortunately for the US squad, the shorthand penalty didn’t result in a catastrophic elimination. Showing immense resilience after dropping to 10 men, the team rallied together to secure a historic win. Now, as the squad prepares for a massive showdown against Belgium on Monday, July 6, fans can a hot, custom-built pizza on the house.

Featured Photo: Domino’s

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