Norway files ethics complaint over Trump's intervention in Balogun case

The Norwegian Football Federation will file a formal complaint with FIFA's Ethics Committee over the lifting of Folarin Balogun's suspension after U.S. President Donald Trump personally intervened with FIFA President Gianni Infantino. The case has sparked accusations of political interference and a double standard in football governance.

The Balogun case

During the 2026 World Cup round of 32, Balogun received a direct red card for a violent challenge against Bosnia-Herzegovina, triggering an automatic one-match ban. Trump called Infantino to protest the decision, calling it "horrible" and "unfair." The FIFA Disciplinary Commission subsequently commuted the ban to a conditional suspension with a one-year probation, allowing Balogun to play in the round of 16 against Belgium. Source: Excelsiormx Belgium won 4-1, with players reportedly motivated by the controversy. Source: Listin Diario

Norway's complaint

• Norway's federation president Lise Klaveness told The Times: "When you bend a rule like this, you enter a slippery slope that will put the whole sport at risk." Source: Clarin
• The complaint will be considered by the NFF board on August 6. Source: Listin Diario
• Klaveness emphasized that "this verdict was influenced by external forces and did not follow proper procedure." Source: El Nacional

COI declines investigation

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced it would not investigate Infantino over the same incident, saying the matter fell outside its ethics code's jurisdiction because it concerned FIFA's internal governance. Source: Infobae Meanwhile, human rights NGO FairSquare has also filed a complaint with the IOC and previously with FIFA's ethics committee over Infantino's political ties to Trump. Source: Infobae

Broader concerns

Norway had previously been the only federation to formally protest Infantino's awarding of a "Peace Prize" to Trump at the World Cup draw. The closeness of Trump and Infantino has raised further questions, with Trump reportedly suggesting Infantino as a candidate for UN Secretary-General. Source: Listin Diario The lack of transparency in FIFA's decision-making and the replacement of ethics investigators in 2017 continue to draw criticism.