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IOC receives complaint against FIFA president following World Cup scandal
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan /Sports

IOC receives complaint against FIFA president following World Cup scandal

From Tengrinews · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Under investigation
  • An official complaint has been filed with the IOC against FIFA President Gianni Infantino regarding his alleged interference in overturning a player's suspension.
  • The complaint stems from a phone call reportedly made by US President Donald Trump to Infantino concerning the one-match ban of US forward Folarin Balogun.
  • Infantino denies the accusations, stating that FIFA's judicial bodies operate autonomously and he does not influence their decisions.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is investigating a complaint against FIFA President Gianni Infantino. The complaint alleges Infantino interfered in the decision to overturn a one-match suspension for US forward Folarin Balogun during the 2026 World Cup.

Belgian media reported that US President Donald Trump called Infantino regarding Balogun's suspension before the USA-Belgium match. Trump later thanked Infantino on Truth Social for rescinding the ban. The match itself saw Belgium defeat the USA 4-1.

Infantino, who is also an IOC member, has denied the allegations. He stated that FIFA's judicial bodies operate with complete autonomy and that he does not influence their decisions. The FIFA Disciplinary Committee's decision to rescind the red card was reportedly the first of its kind.

I have seen the public comments regarding the decision of the independent FIFA Disciplinary Committee related to the suspension of Folarin Balogun, and I would like to reiterate a fundamental principle of FIFA’s governance. FIFA’s judicial…

— Gianni InfantinoFIFA President Gianni Infantino's statement on the disciplinary committee's decision.
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Originally published by Tengrinews. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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