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Rabat – Pressure is growing on FIFA President Gianni Infantino after European lawmakers called for an investigation into FIFA’s decision to suspend Folarin Balogun’s World Cup ban.
The case has become one of the biggest off-field controversies of the tournament.
Balogun was sent off during the United States’ round-of-32 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina, a red card that normally carries an automatic one-match suspension.
But FIFA later suspended the ban for one year, allowing the striker to play against Belgium in the round of 16.
Belgium beat the United States 4-1, but the decision still raised major questions about fairness, political influence, and FIFA’s independence.
Lawmakers want answers
According to The Athletic, 72 Members of the European Parliament wrote to the 27 heads of EU football associations, asking them to push for an investigation into FIFA’s decision-making process.
The lawmakers want FIFA to explain whether political pressure influenced the Balogun ruling.
Euronews also reported that a group of MEPs had launched an initiative asking EU football associations to take formal action with FIFA over the case.
The letter argues that FIFA’s own rules require political neutrality.
It points to FIFA’s statutes and ethics code, which say football officials must remain neutral in political matters.
The lawmakers said national associations have a duty to make sure FIFA’s rules are respected.
Trump call put Infantino under spotlight
The controversy grew after US President Donald Trump confirmed that he called Infantino to ask for Balogun’s red card to be reviewed.
Trump described the red card as unfair and later thanked FIFA for what he called the reversal of a “great injustice.”
Infantino has denied any wrongdoing.
He said FIFA’s judicial bodies are independent and that he told Trump the case would be handled by the proper disciplinary authorities.
But that explanation has not ended the criticism.
For many in European football, the problem is not only the final decision.
It is the appearance that a political leader could speak directly with FIFA’s president before a disciplinary decision involving his national team changed.
UEFA says FIFA crossed a red line
UEFA strongly criticized the decision.
The European governing body said FIFA had “crossed a red line” and put the “integrity of the game at stake” by allowing Balogun to play.
Belgium also protested before the match, but FIFA rejected the appeal.
The Belgian football federation later said it had not received full grounds for the decision and left “all further actions open.”
The ruling has created concern that future political leaders could try to influence football decisions during major tournaments.
Former Wales captain and UEFA vice-president Laura McAllister warned that the case could create a dangerous precedent, saying it risks opening the door for politicians to pressure football authorities over punishments.
FairSquare plans IOC complaint
The controversy around Infantino is also wider than the Balogun case.
the human rights group FairSquare plans to file a complaint with the International Olympic Committee, accusing Infantino of repeated breaches of political neutrality through his public support for Trump.
Infantino has been an IOC member since 2020.
FairSquare had already filed a complaint with FIFA’s Ethics Committee in December 2025 over Infantino’s links to Trump, including the decision to create and award the FIFA Peace Prize to the US president.
Reuters reported that the Norwegian Football Federation and 50 MEPs had also expressed support for FairSquare’s concerns.
The new Balogun controversy has now added another layer to the pressure.
FIFA faces trust problem
The US are already out of the World Cup after losing to Belgium.
But the Balogun case has not disappeared.
Instead, it has become a test of FIFA’s credibility.
The core question is simple: did FIFA’s disciplinary system act independently, or did political pressure shape the outcome?
Infantino insists the decision came from independent judicial bodies.
European lawmakers, UEFA, Belgium, and rights groups now want that process investigated.
