The Norwegian Football Federation (NFF) is preparing a formal complaint to FIFA over the suspension of Folarin Balogun's World Cup red card, with president Lise Klaveness confirming that United States President Donald Trump's role in the affair will be at the centre of the grievance. The move follows the NFF's earlier backing of a December ethics complaint targeting FIFA president Gianni Infantino's decision to award Trump the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize.
Balogun, the United States men's national team striker, was sent off during the Americans' last-32 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina - a dismissal that should have ruled him out of the last-16 tie against Belgium. There was no established process or precedent for appealing such a sanction, yet The Athletic revealed the day before the Belgium match that FIFA had suspended the ban. Trump later confirmed he had personally called Infantino to request a review, a moment that has since drawn comparisons to other flashpoints where politics and football controversies intersected, much like the debate captured in cancelo defends ronaldo neymar world cup criticism, where player conduct and outside pressure again became a talking point during the tournament.
Klaveness Demands Accountability
Speaking to The Times of London, Klaveness described the episode as serious enough to warrant wider scrutiny. "This case was so serious and so worrying that I hope that it might contribute to bring people out a little bit and don't fear to bring up cases," she said, adding that she intends to bring the matter to her federation's board before formally lodging a complaint. Klaveness argued the decision was widely seen as having been shaped by "external forces" without due process, warning that bending the rules for political figures threatens the sport's core integrity. "We need our leader in FIFA to say that this was an error," she said, cautioning that accommodating state leaders in this way shifts the boundaries of acceptable interference.
FIFA and Trump Defend the Process
FIFA has maintained that the ruling came from an independent disciplinary committee, though The Athletic reported that the Trump administration and lawyers it enlisted engaged in a coordinated lobbying effort to influence the outcome in Balogun's favour. Infantino has defended his involvement, confirming the call with Trump but rejecting any suggestion of political interference. "FIFA's judicial bodies are independent," he said in a tournament statement, stressing that decisions are based strictly on the Disciplinary Code and the facts of each case. Trump, for his part, downplayed his influence while confirming the conversation took place. "All I did, I asked for a review, because I didn't think it was a foul," he said, adding that he considered the outcome "a brilliant decision."
A Wider Pattern of Scrutiny
This is not the first time Infantino's ties to Trump have drawn criticism. In December, FairSquare, a non-profit focused on labour rights, political repression and sport, filed a complaint with FIFA's Ethics Committee alleging repeated breaches of political neutrality, also questioning the process behind Trump's Peace Prize. The NFF backed that complaint, with Klaveness criticising Infantino for bypassing the FIFA Council in making the award. Fifty members of the European Parliament wrote to FIFA in June urging action. FIFA's own statutes state the organisation "remains neutral in matters of politics and religion," a principle Klaveness and others argue has now been tested directly.
