U.S. President Donald Trump’s involvement in removing a mandatory one-game suspension on Folarin Balogun at the World Cup may trigger a formal complaint to FIFA’s ethics investigators. The Norway soccer federation has announced plans to discuss lodging this complaint at their upcoming board meeting, tentatively scheduled for August 6.
Norwegian federation president, Lise Klaveness, emphasized to The Times of London the need for FIFA to acknowledge the incident as a mistake. Trump’s direct communication with FIFA President Gianni Infantino led to Balogun’s red-card suspension being postponed, allowing him to compete against Belgium. Despite the uproar, Belgium decisively defeated the U.S. 4-1 amid the controversy.
“We all know that this verdict was influenced by external forces and did not follow the appropriate process,” Klaveness stated regarding the unprecedented FIFA ruling over the past six decades of World Cups.
Klaveness, a former Women’s World Cup player for Norway and an elected member of UEFA’s executive committee, warned against undermining fundamental rules of the game, fearing it risks the integrity of soccer.
The Norwegian federation has a history of positioning itself as a moral authority within world soccer under Klaveness’ leadership since her election in 2022. She has previously joined a London-based NGO’s complaint to FIFA’s ethics committee against Infantino, citing a breach of political neutrality, such as by proposing a peace prize for Trump at a World Cup event.
Reports from the New York Post have highlighted the personal and political bonds between Trump and Infantino, speculating on Trump’s consideration of Infantino for a high-profile international role.
Additionally, the NGO FairSquare has filed a related ethics complaint with the International Olympic Committee, where Infantino holds a position, claiming a breach of political impartiality rules.
Despite these allegations, FIFA and the IOC are known for their discretion on potential ethical cases. The credibility of FIFA’s complaint handling has faced scrutiny since the 2017 overhaul of its leading ethics committee officials. FIFA has yet to release documentation on its disciplinary decisions regarding Balogun or other World Cup cases.