Trump's role in World Cup red-card ruling for Balogun pushes Norway toward FIFA ethics complaint

The Norwegian soccer federation is considering filing a formal complaint with FIFA's ethics investigators, alleging that U.S. President Donald Trump's intervention influenced a decision regarding a player's suspension at the World Cup. The federation's board will discuss the potential complaint at its next meeting.

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We need our leader in FIFA to say that this was an error.

At the heart of the issue is Folarin Balogun's mandatory one-game ban, issued after a red-card tackle against Bosnia-Herzegovina. The ban was deferred, allowing Balogun to play against Belgium in a quarterfinal match, following a call from President Trump to FIFA President Gianni Infantino. Trump had publicly criticized the referee's decision as "horrible" and claimed credit for FIFA reviewing the ban.

Norwegian federation president Lise Klaveness expressed strong concerns about the ruling. "We need our leader in FIFA to say that this was an error,” Klaveness told The Times. She argued that the verdict appeared to be influenced by external forces and lacked a proper process. Klaveness, a lawyer and former player, warned that bending rules in such a manner creates a "slippery slope" that could jeopardize the entire sport.

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This verdict was influenced by external forces and did not have the proper process.

This potential complaint follows previous actions by the Norwegian federation, which joined an NGO's complaint to the FIFA ethics committee. That complaint alleged that Infantino breached his duty of political neutrality, including the creation of a peace prize awarded to Trump. The close relationship between Trump and Infantino has been noted, with reports suggesting Trump believes Infantino could be a suitable candidate for the next UN Secretary-General position.

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When you bend a rule like this, you’re on a slippery slope that will put the whole game at risk.

The human rights NGO FairSquare has also filed an ethics complaint regarding the Balogun incident with the International Olympic Committee, citing Infantino's alleged breach of political neutrality rules. FIFA and the IOC typically do not confirm or provide updates on potential ethics cases. The independence of FIFA's ethics processes has faced scrutiny since key officials were replaced in 2017, during Infantino's second year as president.

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It is a worry for the game when you compromise fundamental rules of the game.