When the United States faced Belgium in the World Cup last-16, they had their top scorer Folarin Balogun on the pitch. He should have been suspended. His red card against Bosnia‑Herzegovina had triggered an automatic one‑match ban – but a phone call from US President Donald Trump to FIFA president Gianni Infantino led to that ban being deferred. Now the Norwegian Football Federation (NFF) is considering a formal ethics complaint, arguing that world football’s governing body has broken its own rules on political neutrality.
At its core, this is a dispute about whether FIFA’s disciplinary processes can be influenced by outside political forces. Balogun was sent off after a video‑assisted review during the US group‑stage win over Bosnia‑Herzegovina. Under FIFA’s disciplinary code, a straight red card normally carries an automatic one‑match suspension applied to the next game. But after Trump called Infantino, the ban was suspended for 12 months, allowing Balogun to play against Belgium. Trump later said FIFA had “reversed a great injustice”, while Infantino insisted that FIFA’s judicial bodies operate independently.
“Norway considers FIFA ethics complaint after Trump's call led to Balogun's ban being suspended at the World Cup.”
Norway’s president, Lise Klaveness, has been a vocal critic of what she sees as FIFA’s drift away from sporting integrity. Klaveness, a lawyer and former Women’s World Cup player, had already filed a complaint about FIFA awarding its inaugural Peace Prize to Trump during the World Cup draw in December 2025. Now she wants the Balogun incident added to that complaint. “When you bend a rule like this, you’re on a slippery slope that will put the whole game at risk,” she told the Times. The NFF board is expected to decide whether to proceed at its next meeting on 6 August 2026.
Why it matters for UK readers
Football is the UK’s most popular sport, and the integrity of the game’s rules affects everything from grassroots to the Premier League. If a World Cup ban can be overridden by a presidential phone call, it sets a precedent that could undermine the consistency of disciplinary rulings – including in tournaments involving England or British clubs. The row also touches on wider governance concerns: the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has been asked to investigate whether Infantino, an IOC member since 2020, breached the Olympic charter’s rule against accepting “mandate or instructions” from governments. The IOC has declined to confirm or deny whether it has received a complaint, saying only that it will communicate any sanctions if imposed.
Key questions answered
Q: What exactly did Donald Trump do? Trump called FIFA president Gianni Infantino to complain about Balogun’s red card. After that call, the automatic one‑match ban was suspended for 12 months, allowing Balogun to play in the last‑16 match against Belgium. Trump later took credit for the decision, saying FIFA had made a “great decision”.
Q: Why is Norway so involved? The Norwegian Football Federation has positioned itself as a watchdog on FIFA governance. Its president, Lise Klaveness, has previously criticised FIFA’s award of a peace prize to Trump and believes the Balogun case shows FIFA is “on a slippery slope”. As an elected member of UEFA’s executive committee, Klaveness also represents a European perspective on the issue.
Q: What are the specific rules FIFA is accused of breaking? Norway and the human rights NGO FairSquare argue that FIFA’s decision was influenced by external political pressure, violating FIFA’s statutory duty of political neutrality. They also point to the IOC rule that forbids its members from accepting government instructions – relevant because Infantino is an IOC member. The complaint will go to FIFA’s independent ethics committee, which has the power to investigate potential breaches.
What happens next
The NFF board will meet on 6 August to decide whether to file a formal complaint with FIFA’s ethics committee. If it does, the committee will decide whether to investigate. Separately, the IOC has been asked to examine Infantino’s role, though any process there is confidential. Meanwhile, the fallout from the Balogun incident continues to cast a shadow over the World Cup, with many in the game questioning whether the rules are applied equally to all teams.