Rabat – The Norwegian Football Federation (NFF) is preparing to lodge a formal complaint with FIFA over US President Donald Trump’s involvement in the disciplinary case that allowed Folarin Balogun to play in the 2026 World Cup round of 16.
NFF President Lise Klaveness said she intends to present the matter at a federation board meeting on August 6 before proceeding with a complaint to FIFA’s Ethics Committee.
Klaveness argued that Trump’s contact with FIFA President Gianni Infantino raised serious concerns about outside political influence over football’s disciplinary procedures.
“This case was so serious and so worrying,” Klaveness told The Times, adding that the circumstances should encourage other football officials to raise concerns without fear.
Balogun was sent off in the 64th minute of the United States’ 2-0 round-of-32 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina following a high challenge reviewed by the video assistant referee.
The AS Monaco striker had also scored the opening goal before his dismissal. A red card ordinarily carries an automatic one-match suspension, which would have ruled him out of the United States’ next game against Belgium.
However, FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee applied Article 27 of its Disciplinary Code and suspended the implementation of Balogun’s one-match ban for a probationary period of one year. He was also fined $40,000.
The decision made Balogun available for the round-of-16 encounter, which Belgium won 4-1 to eliminate the co-hosts from the tournament.
Trump confirms contact with Infantino
The controversy intensified after Trump confirmed that he had spoken directly to Infantino and asked FIFA to review the decision.
“All I did was ask for a review,” Trump said, maintaining that he had not demanded that FIFA reach a particular outcome. He also publicly questioned the referee’s original decision to dismiss Balogun.
Infantino acknowledged receiving the call but rejected suggestions that Trump had influenced the disciplinary ruling.
The FIFA president said he informed Trump that the case was being handled through an ongoing legal process and would be decided by the governing body’s independent judicial institutions.
“FIFA’s judicial bodies are independent,” Infantino said, adding that they operate autonomously and apply the disciplinary code according to the facts of each case.
FIFA has therefore maintained that its president played no role in the committee’s decision, even though critics have questioned whether a conversation with the leader of one of the tournament’s host countries could create the appearance of political pressure.
Klaveness said football’s rules and institutional boundaries could be weakened if state leaders were permitted to intervene in individual disciplinary cases.
“We need our leader in FIFA to say that this was an error,” she said.
The Norwegian official argued that adapting football decisions to accommodate political leaders could gradually change what governments believe they are entitled to influence within the sport.
Norway’s wider concerns about FIFA neutrality
The planned complaint follows the NFF’s support for an earlier ethics case concerning Infantino’s relationship with Trump.
FairSquare submitted a complaint to FIFA’s Ethics Committee on December 8, 2025, three days after Infantino presented Trump with the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize. The organization asked FIFA to examine alleged breaches of political-neutrality rules and the process through which the award was created and presented.
Klaveness previously said the Peace Prize decision had not been properly anchored within the FIFA Council and called for the complaint to be assessed through a transparent process.
FIFA’s Code of Ethics requires football officials to remain politically neutral in their dealings with governments, while the organization’s statutes state that FIFA should remain neutral in political and religious matters.
The NFF has not yet formally submitted its complaint in the Balogun case. Klaveness must first obtain the backing of the federation’s board, meaning the planned action remains subject to approval at its August meeting.
