The Norwegian Football Federation (NFF) is preparing to file a formal complaint with FIFA’s ethics committee over what it says was interference by US President Donald Trump in the reversal of Folarin Balogun’s red card suspension at the World Cup.
USMNT striker Balogun was sent off during the United States’ last-32 tie against Bosnia and Herzegovina, a dismissal that would ordinarily have ruled him out of the last-16 clash against Belgium — a significant blow to Mauricio Pochettino’s side. However, the suspension was lifted after Trump reportedly telephoned FIFA president Gianni Infantino, said to be a close associate of the US president, urging him to allow the striker to feature.
NFF president Lise Klaveness has now confirmed the federation is planning to formally challenge the decision, making Norway the first national federation to take a public stand on the matter. Her organisation had previously objected to Trump’s receipt of a FIFA Peace Prize, awarded by Infantino last year.
Speaking to The Times, Klaveness called on Infantino, who faces criticism over a potential breach of political neutrality rules, to acknowledge that FIFA erred in its handling of the Balogun case. “When you bend a rule like this, you’re on a slippery slope that will put the whole game at risk,” she said. “It is a worry for the game when you compromise fundamental rules of the game.”
She argued that the episode reflected outside influence on the process. “It is very important now to have honest communication around it. We all know that this verdict was influenced from external forces and did not have the proper process,” she said, warning that accommodating state leaders in such matters risked shifting “the red line of what states’ leaders should interfere with.”
Infantino has defended his role, insisting the decision was taken independently by FIFA’s disciplinary committee. “They operate autonomously, apply the FIFA’s disciplinary code, and decide cases based on the applicable regulations and the specific facts before them,” he said, adding that the committee’s independence “is essential to the credibility and integrity of football” and “must always be respected.”
Klaveness acknowledged that FIFA had been subject to a “very powerful voice in their ear” but maintained that the organisation had erred by failing to consult more widely, calling the outcome a “mistake” and a “controversial decision.” She said she was “disappointed but not necessarily surprised” by what she described as a lack of transparency from FIFA throughout the episode.
“To try to sweep this under the carpet now will not fly. Too many felt this… coaches, players, fans… that this was too close to the game,” she added.
Describing the case as “so serious” and “so worrying,” Klaveness said she intends to raise the matter with her board, and that a formal complaint would follow if they support her position.