The 2026 FIFA World Cup has been thrown into fresh controversy over the unprecedented suspension of an automatic one-match ban for United States forward Folarin Balogun, with the Norwegian Football Federation (NFF) now moving toward a formal ethics complaint to global football’s governing body. The dispute traces back to the US’ group stage match against Bosnia-Herzegovina, where Balogun — who would finish the tournament as Team USA’s top scorer with three goals — received a straight red card. By FIFA’s standard rules, this should have ruled him out of the US’ knockout round last-16 clash with Belgium.
That automatic suspension was put on hold for 12 months shortly after the red card, however, following direct personal intervention from former US President Donald Trump. Trump acknowledged he made a personal phone call to FIFA President Gianni Infantino to request a review of the red card decision, with FIFA ultimately allowing Balogun to start against Belgium, a match Belgium went on to win 4-1. No detailed explanation for the suspension was provided, with FIFA only citing a vague existing rule that allows for punishment suspensions in certain cases.
In a written statement provided exclusively to BBC Sport, NFF president Lise Klaveness said her organization views the decision with “strong concern”, and will vote on whether to file a formal ethics complaint during the federation’s upcoming board meeting. This would not be the NFF’s first complaint over FIFA’s ties to Trump: the federation previously raised objections to FIFA awarding its inaugural Peace Prize to the former US president ahead of the 2026 tournament. Klaveness noted that the Balogun case would be added to the existing ethics inquiry the NFF previously launched over that award.
The controversy has also spilled over to the International Olympic Committee, where Infantino has held a membership since 2020. Existing IOC rules bar members from accepting outside instructions or mandates that could compromise their independent decision-making, spurring reports that the IOC is preparing to open its own investigation into Infantino’s conduct in the Balogun case. When contacted by the BBC for comment, the IOC declined to confirm or deny whether any complaint had been received, citing its policy that all ethics commission complaints remain confidential. The organization noted it would only issue a public statement if the commission ultimately votes to impose sanctions.
Infantino has repeatedly defended the independence of FIFA’s judicial bodies, claiming they operate free from outside political influence. Trump echoed that framing during a July 6 Oval Office press briefing, saying “I didn’t tell him what to do, I can’t tell him what to do,” while adding that he believed the original red card was unwarranted and called the eventual suspension of the ban a “great decision.”
Criticism of the decision has spread far beyond Norway. The Royal Belgian Football Federation, which benefited from the US’ elimination in the match, said it was “deeply concerned by the course of events” and committed to defending “the fundamental principles of ethics, fair competition, and the interests of football as a whole.” FIFA rejected Belgium’s formal request for an official explanation of the ban suspension, ruling the appeal “inadmissible” on procedural grounds. Uefa, European football’s governing body, issued one of the strongest condemnations, saying FIFA’s actions “crossed a red line” and calling the decision “unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable.”