The influence of Donald Trump on the suspension of a player at the World Cup is generating controversy and could lead to a formal complaint to the FIFA ethics committee. The Norwegian Football Federation announced that its board of directors is considering presenting the complaint at its next meeting, scheduled for August 6.
The case dates back to the World Cup when player Folarin Balogun received a red card in a match against Bosnia and Herzegovina, which would imply an automatic one-match suspension. However, following a phone call from Trump to FIFA president Gianni Infantino, the suspension was lifted, allowing Balogun to play in the next match against Belgium, crucial for qualifying for the quarter-finals. Belgium ultimately defeated the United States 4-1 in a tense atmosphere marked by this controversy.
Lise Klaveness, president of the Norwegian Football Federation and former player for Norway's women's national team, has strongly criticized this intervention. In statements published in The Times, she said: “We all know that this verdict was influenced by external forces and did not follow due process.” Klaveness warned of the risk this decision poses to the integrity of football: “When you bend a rule like this, you are on a slippery slope that puts the whole game at risk.” As a lawyer and member of the UEFA executive committee, Klaveness emphasized the importance of preserving the fundamental rules of the sport and lamented that Balogun's suspension was not enforced, considering it a “concern for the game.”
This episode comes in a context where FIFA is already facing criticism regarding its impartiality and transparency. Norway, along with an NGO based in London, had already filed a complaint with FIFA's ethics committee against Infantino, alleging a violation of the duty of political neutrality, especially after the creation of a peace prize for Donald Trump during the World Cup draw. The close connection between Trump and Infantino, including rumors that Trump would consider Infantino for the position of Secretary-General of the United Nations, further fuels suspicions of favoritism.
In addition to FIFA, the NGO FairSquare has also filed a complaint with the International Olympic Committee, of which Infantino is an elected member, for an alleged violation of the rules of political neutrality. So far, neither FIFA nor the IOC has provided public updates on these ethical proceedings.
The issue of the independence of FIFA's disciplinary processes has been questioned since 2017, the year in which the lead investigator and the presiding judge were replaced, during Infantino's second year as president. The lack of transparency regarding disciplinary decisions related to Balogun and other players from the World Cup keeps the controversy alive, leaving the football world waiting for clear answers and decisions that could restore confidence in the system.
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