The involvement of Donald Trump in overturning Folarin Balogun’s one-game ban during the World Cup is prompting the Norway soccer federation to contemplate a formal ethics complaint to FIFA.
On Thursday, the federation announced that its board of directors would deliberate on this potential action at an upcoming meeting, anticipated to occur on August 6.
“We need our leader in Fifa to say that this was an error,” stated Lise Klaveness, president of the Norwegian soccer federation, in an interview published Thursday.
Details of the Incident
The controversy arose after Trump communicated with FIFA president Gianni Infantino, leading to a suspension for Balogun, who received a red card for a tackle against Bosnia and Herzegovina, being postponed. This allowed him to participate in a crucial match against Belgium.
Belgium triumphed over the United States with a score of 4-1 amid a tumultuous 36-hour period at the World Cup, energizing the Belgian team during one of the most debated incidents in tournament history.
Trump criticized the referee’s decision as “We all know that this verdict was influenced from external forces and did not have the proper process,” and claimed responsibility for prompting FIFA to reassess a ban that should have been routinely enforced.
Concerns Over FIFA’s Decision
Klaveness remarked, “When you bend a rule like this, you’re on a slippery slope that will put the whole game at risk,” She pointed out that the ruling was unprecedented in the last six decades of World Cup events, adding, “It is a worry for the game when you compromise fundamental rules of the game,”
As a former Women’s World Cup player for Norway and a member of UEFA’s executive committee, Klaveness has positioned the Norwegian federation as a moral compass in global soccer since her election in 2022. “It is concerning for the game when fundamental rules are compromised,” she emphasized regarding the handling of Balogun’s suspension.
Previous Complaints and Allegations
Norway has previously joined a complaint initiated by a London-based NGO to FIFA’s ethics committee, alleging that Infantino violated a statutory duty of political neutrality. This included the establishment of a peace prize awarded to Trump at the World Cup draw last December.
Reports indicate that Trump and Infantino share close personal and political ties, with the U.S. president suggesting that Infantino could be a suitable candidate for the next secretary-general of the United Nations.
Additionally, the human rights NGO FairSquare has filed an ethics complaint regarding the Balogun incident with the International Olympic Committee, where Infantino is a member, citing violations of political neutrality rules.
FIFA and the IOC seldom comment on ongoing cases within their ethics bodies. The integrity of FIFA’s procedures for addressing complaints about unethical behavior has come under scrutiny since both the lead investigator and judge were replaced in 2017, during Infantino’s second year as president. To date, FIFA has not released any documentation clarifying how its disciplinary judges arrived at decisions concerning Balogun or other World Cup players.
