Norway Weighs FIFA Ethics Complaint Over Trump’s Role in 1-Game Balogun Ban Deferral
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jul 23
Norway Weighs FIFA Ethics Complaint Over Trump’s Role in 1-Game Balogun Ban Deferral
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jul 23
Summary
Norway’s soccer federation said its board will consider filing a FIFA ethics complaint at its next meeting, likely on Aug. 6, over Donald Trump’s role in delaying Folarin Balogun’s automatic one-game suspension.
Lise Klaveness said the ruling was swayed by “external forces” and bypassed proper process after Trump called FIFA president Gianni Infantino to challenge Balogun’s red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The deferred ban let Balogun play in a quarterfinal-deciding match against Belgium, which beat the United States 4-1 after what the report called a chaotic 36 hours at the World Cup.
Klaveness said the move was unprecedented in 60 years of World Cups and warned that bending a core disciplinary rule risks undermining the game’s integrity.
Norway had already joined a FairSquare complaint over Infantino’s political neutrality, while FIFA still has not published documents explaining the Balogun disciplinary decision.