Norway Warns It Won't Let Balogun Red 'Slip Under The Rug', To Lodge Complaint At FIFA

Last Updated:July 23, 2026, 18:34 IST

Norway to file FIFA complaint over suspended ban for Folarin Balogun, citing US President Donald Trump's influence.

Norway is set to lodge a formal complaint with FIFA over the decision to suspend Folarin Balogun’s World Cup ban, with Norwegian Football Federation president Lise Klaveness warning that the controversy has put ‘the whole game at risk’.

Balogun was sent off during the United States’ last-32 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina, which should have ruled him out of their next match against Belgium. However, FIFA later suspended the ban, allowing the forward to play. The United States went on to suffer a 4-1 defeat.

The decision sparked widespread criticism after it emerged that US President Donald Trump had contacted FIFA president Gianni Infantino over the matter. Klaveness, who has led the Norwegian federation since 2022, said she would seek the backing of her board to lodge a complaint with FIFA’s Ethics Committee.

“I will bring it to a board meeting and discuss with my board, and then we do it," Klaveness told The Times. “To me, it should be in the same sphere of ethical complaint."

The former Norway international said FIFA’s decision had created a dangerous precedent by allowing external influence to affect the application of the rules.

“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. First of all, it should not have happened. 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. We need our leader in FIFA to say that this was an error."

FIFA Disciplinary Committee chairman Mohammad al-Kamali reportedly decided to suspend Balogun’s ban without consulting the other members of the committee. Klaveness also insisted the matter could not simply be forgotten.

“To try to sweep this under the carpet now will not fly," she said. “Too many felt this … coaches, players, fans … that this was too close to the game."

The controversy has also been linked to wider betting-integrity concerns after a prediction market opened on whether Balogun would play against Belgium before FIFA confirmed his ban had been suspended.

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