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Published 12:58 23 Jul 2026 GMT
Norway is preparing to file a formal complaint with FIFA after President Donald Trump's involvement in the decision to overturn Folarin Balogun's World Cup suspension.
As widely reported, the 25-year-old received a red card during the United States' victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina on July 2.
Although the striker was initially suspended for the knockout stages, the decision was later overturned, allowing him to feature against Belgium in the last 16.
Trump later admitted that he contacted FIFA president Gianni Infantino to discuss the case, and celebrated the outcome by describing it as the reversal of "a great injustice" on Truth Social.
Lise Klaveness, president of the Norwegian Football Federation, has been one of FIFA's most vocal critics and believes the Balogun decision raises concerns about the independence of football's governing bodies.
The 45-year-old, who has already slammed FIFA for awarding its inaugural Peace Prize to the US president, described the latest controversy as "so serious and so worrying".
"To try to sweep this under the carpet now will not fly," she said.
In an interview with The Times, she warned that allowing outside political influence to shape disciplinary decisions could have lasting consequences for the sport.
"When you bend a rule like this, you're on a slippery slope that will put the whole game at risk. It is a worry for the game when you compromise fundamental rules of the game," she said.
She continued: "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. If you start to adapt in such a way towards state leaders and state politics, you will move your behaviour and the organisation's behaviour, and also the red line of what states' leaders should interfere with. And that happened," she added.
Klaveness has suggested that, pending approval from the Norwegian federation's board, she plans to add the Balogun case to an existing complaint concerning FIFA's decision to award Trump its inaugural Peace Prize.
If approved, the complaint will be referred to FIFA's independent ethics committee to look at whether any rules were broken.
The fallout has prompted Infantino to publicly defend the organization's disciplinary procedures and address his conversation with the 80-year-old president.
"FIFA's judicial bodies are independent," Infantino said, per The Mirror.
"They operate autonomously, apply the FIFA Disciplinary Code, and decide cases based on the applicable regulations and the specific facts before them. Their independence is essential to the credibility and integrity of football, and this must always be respected."
Meanwhile, Trump has insisted that he did not attempt to pressure FIFA into a particular outcome.
"All I did was ask for a review. I didn't say, you have to do this," he explained at the time.
"This man is a smart, tough man, Gianni Infantino. He's a smart, tough man, and his stock has gone through the roof because the job he has done has been great. I feel like we have to have all the best players on the field."
During a recent interview on CBS Mornings, Balogun reflected on the red card saga and admitted he quickly realized the decision would have wider consequences.
"My initial reaction was that I was happy to be back in the team," he said. "But when I started to reflect, I knew it was going to cause a lot of controversy."
He added that the situation appeared to affect those around him.
"And I could almost see within my teammates a bit of nerves because it's something that is so unique. But the closer we got to the game, I tried to just focus as best as I could but it was difficult - a lot of outside noise and that's hard to avoid," he added.
The Team USA star also described how confusing the days leading up to the match became after initially preparing to miss the game.
"It was confusing because the team was practicing without me in the team, I'm almost just playing a supporting role to keep morale high."
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Published 16:31 14 Jul 2026 GMT
Folarin Balogun has admitted the controversy surrounding his overturned World Cup suspension created unwanted distractions for the United States ahead of their last-16 defeat to Belgium.
The 25-year-old striker found himself at the center of international headlines after FIFA suspended his automatic one-match ban just a day before the knockout fixture.
The decision came after Donald Trump reportedly urged FIFA president Gianni Infantino to review the punishment.
Balogun had originally been ruled out after receiving a straight red card during the USA's victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina.
However, following pressure from US Soccer officials and the White House, FIFA reversed course and allowed him to play against Belgium, a move that prompted accusations of corruption, political interference and preferential treatment.
Despite his return, the USMNT suffered a heavy 4-1 defeat to Belgium, ending their World Cup campaign.
Reflecting on the saga during an appearance on CBS Mornings, Balogun admitted he quickly realized the decision would have wider consequences.
"My initial reaction was that I was happy to be back in the team," he said. "But when I started to reflect, I knew it was going to cause a lot of controversy."
He added that the situation appeared to affect those around him.
"And I could almost see within my teammates a bit of nerves because it's something that is so unique. But the closer we got to the game, I tried to just focus as best as I could but it was difficult - a lot of outside noise and that's hard to avoid."
Balogun also described how confusing the days leading up to the match became after initially preparing to miss the game.
"It was confusing because the team was practicing without me in the team, I'm almost just playing a supporting role to keep morale high."
His comments follow remarks from Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House's World Cup Task Force, who recently acknowledged that the controversy may have affected the squad, despite arguing that he still "stands by" the decision to intervene.
Balogun was dismissed against Bosnia after colliding with defender Tarik Muharemovic, after landing on the back of the Bosnian player's leg before making contact with his ankle.
Looking back on the challenge, Balogun insisted he never believed it warranted a sending-off.
"It wasn't even a tackle so I was totally in shock," he said. "I think you could see my reaction but I just had to accept the decision and just try and be there for my team."
He added: "When something is not intentional, it should never be a red card - it was just an unfortunate situation and I think it put a lot more pressure on us than we needed."
The striker also revealed how his teammates rallied around him while the uncertainty unfolded.
"My teammates are like my brothers, so they gave me a lot of reassurance: it wasn't something I could change, it was just the situation that was unfortunate - which gave me confidence," he said.
He recalled the dramatic moment the squad discovered his suspension had been lifted.
"We found out on the team bus - everybody was screaming and shouting, it was a pretty intense bus ride to the practice field."
Despite the chaos, Balogun believes the players were able to refocus before facing Belgium.
"It's more [about] being able to separate the emotion from the job at hand - we're all professionals so it's not something I think was too difficult to be able to separate once we got over the initial announcement that I'd be back in the team."
He continued: "But you saw definitely it was a difficult game against Belgium and that can overshadow whether we were focused or not. But from me being inside the camp and inside the setup, I know we had full concentration going into the game."
Balogun finished as the USA's leading scorer at the tournament with three goals, making news of his reinstatement a considerable boost before the knockout clash.
However, following the defeat, he struggled to explain the team's performance.
"The feeling of disappointment is very difficult to put into words," he said.
"To not have the energy in a round-of-16 World Cup game, it's difficult to explain. So I can only tell you my emotions, which are disappointment and a lot of sadness."
At the time, captain Tim Ream dismissed suggestions the suspension saga had disrupted the squad, insisting it "had no impact" on preparations.
Balogun, however, hinted immediately after the loss that he would eventually speak publicly about the ordeal.
"The situation I've been involved in is also going to present different challenges," he said. "So it's just important, for me, to be able to gather my thoughts and then at the right time, I'm sure I'll be able to speak on the topic."
Now that the tournament is over, Balogun said he's enjoyed stepping away from what he described as the "tough, high-pressure" environment of the World Cup.
Still, he looks back fondly on the experience.
"It was amazing to be a part of it - I really felt we were able to unite the country," he said.
"That was an aspiration of mine and the team before we set out and I definitely felt that. You could see how many fans and how many young kids were captured by it."
Published 14:56 06 Jul 2026 GMT
Donald Trump has revealed the details of his call to FIFA president Gianni Infantino after the controversial suspension of a ban to USMNT player Folarin Balogun.
Balogun’s red card ban was suspended after FIFA intervention, freeing him up to face Belgium in Monday’s quarter final.
Trump also questioned the integrity of the referee of the game against Bosnia and Herzegovina, calling him ‘suspect’.
There has been widespread outrage after the rarely-used rule was brought in to ensure that Balogun could feature up front for the USA, with Belgium’s soccer federation set to appeal the decision and European governing body UEFA also speaking out against it.
Speaking at the White House, Trump said: “I saw the play, and I’m a person that loves sports...
“That wasn’t a foul. That wasn’t even an infraction.
“This referee, who is a little bit suspect if you check his past.
“He made a call that nobody could believe.
“He’s our best player, or one of our best players. And he gave him a red card. I didn’t know what that meant…”
He then confirmed: “Yes, I asked for a review by FIFA.”
Later in the comments, Trump revealed how much he knows about soccer, telling the gathered journalists: “I didn’t know what the hell a red card was. When I found out, I said, ‘You gotta be kidding!’”
The referee, Raphael Claus, sent off Balogun during the US team’s 2-0 win against Bosnia in the 64th minute.
Then, on Sunday, FIFA announced that the one-match ban would be suspended.
That decision attracted particular attention as Donald Trump had made a call to FIFA president Gianni Infantino asking him to rescind or suspend Balogun’s ban.
According to Article 27 of FIFA’s disciplinary code, the game ban will be suspended for one year.
FIFA’s statement said: “If Folarin Balogun commits another infringement of a similar nature and gravity during the probationary period, the suspension shall be revoked and the sanction enforced without prejudice to any additional sanction imposed for the new infringement.”
Afterwards, Trump thanked FIFA for making the call and ‘reversing a great injustice’.
So far, Donald Trump has not attended any games in this World Cup, spread between the US, Canada and Mexico, but he will reportedly attend the final and could even hand over the trophy.
After the decision to allow Balogun to play, Belgium manager Rudi Garcia said: “I didn’t know that at the World Cup the 5th of July is actually the first of April. It’s April Fools.
“We’re not defending the national team or the federation, we are defending football, integrity. It’s the first time in World Cup history that such a decision has been taken.”
The Belgian football governing body released a statement confirming it was ‘astonished’ by the rule application, as there is no recourse to appeal yellow cards - the second of which resulted in Balogun’s sending off.
Published 10:35 08 Jul 2026 GMT
Folarin Balogun has broken his silence after USA was kicked out of the World Cup days after the infamous red card U-turn.
The USMNT striker was at the center of one of the tournament's biggest talking points after being shown a red card during the team's round-of-32 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Although the dismissal originally carried a one-match suspension, President Donald Trump admitted that he called FIFA president Gianni Infantino, and a committee conducted an intervention that later delayed the ban.
FIFA then allowed the 25-year-old to feature in the USA's last-16 clash against Belgium.
Before the match, the Royal Belgian Football Association said they were "astonished" by FIFA’s decision to delay Balogun’s suspension.
"In order to safeguard the legitimate rights of all participating teams and to protect the fundamental principles of fair play in our sport, both at this FIFA World Cup and at future editions of the tournament, the RBFA is investigating all potential options," they said in a statement.
Their appeal was dismissed by the governing body, with a disciplinary committee ruling that Belgium was not an interested party as they were not involved in the incident in question.
Despite the controversy, Belgium had the final say on the pitch, defeating the United States 4-1 to book their place in the quarter-finals.
Following the victory, the team could be seen celebrating by doing an impression of the "Trump dance," which went viral during the 2024 US presidential campaign.
The official Instagram account also posted a picture of Romelu Lukaku, the player who scored the 4th goal, cupping his ear, with the savage caption: "Overturn this."
The 25-year-old took to Instagram on Tuesday (July 7) to share an emotional statement with his 905K followers.
"My debut World Cup… it hurts to wait 4 years to compete at the highest level our sport has to offer. I want to say sorry to our fans it was not good enough when it mattered most and we let you down," he penned.
"Soccer in America will only become bigger the belief, the talent, and the passion is continually growing, and I know the best days are in front of us, the future belongs to those who never stop believing, this moment will fuel us. We will be back," he continued. "Why not us?
"For the nation. For the flag," he concluded, adding an eagle and USA flag emoji.
After the match, Balogun approached Belgium manager Rudi Garcia, a gesture the coach said he greatly appreciated.
"He came to talk to me. I really liked that. It is not his fault; he is not the one to blame, and that’s what I told him," Garcia told reporters.
Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois also addressed the controversy, saying his side had used the criticism surrounding them as motivation.
"In recent days, we have been shown a lack of respect here in the U.S. It was said that they could beat us easily, but I think today we proved that we are a good team. We played a great match," he said.
Courtois also dismissed suggestions that the Balogun saga had any impact on his team's performance.
"Everything beforehand did not necessarily play a part. I read it and laughed about it. Today, if I'm honest, I felt a bit more certain that we would win than I did against Senegal," he said. "They were a stronger team than the U.S., and that showed today as well."
After advancing past the co-hosts, Belgium will take on Spain in the quarter-finals in Los Angeles on Friday.
Published 10:18 07 Jul 2026 GMT
Belgium have responded following a controversial buildup to their round-of-16 World Cup tie against the USA.
US President Donald Trump admitted that he called FIFA president Gianni Infantino after USMNT striker Folarin Balogun was shown a red card in the side's round-of-32 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The 25-year-old's one-match ban was then remarkably suspended following an intervention by FIFA, allowing him to play against Belgium in last night's knockout clash.
But Belgium would have the last laugh, with the Red Devils progressing to the quarter-finals after goals from Hans Vanaken, Romelu Lukaku, and a double from Charles De Ketelaere secured a 4-1 victory.
Despite the masterclass put on by the European side on US soil, the tie will likely be remembered for the off-pitch drama that unfolded both before and after the whistle was blown in Seattle.
And following the emphatic victory, Belgium had a message for Trump.
The Belgian team could be seen celebrating after bagging their fourth goal in stoppage time, doing an impression of the "Trump dance," which went viral during the 2024 US presidential campaign.
It involved some arm-pumping and hip-rocking, which was famously done by the 47th US President.
The official Instagram account then posted a snap of Lukaku cupping his ear, with the snappy caption: "Overturn this."
Despite the media team having a field day, Belgium head coach Rudi Garcia was more modest about the result, admitting he spoke to Balogun after the game.
"I really liked that. It's not his fault, he's not the one to blame and that's what I told him," he admitted.
"Regardless of the US starting line-up, what really mattered to us is our game plan," he answered when asked about how the decision affected preparations.
"The group is very mature. I told them what matters the most is us."
Balogun's red-card suspension set a precedent, given that the 189 previous red cards shown in World Cup history had only seen a player avoid the automatic one-game suspension once - Brazil's Garrincha in 1962.
Although this was even before the automatic ban system was put in place.
Belgium and Rangers midfielder Nicolas Raskin admitted that the squad was shocked by the decision, but they used it as fuel.
He explained post-match: "A lot has happened off the pitch over the last two days,
"There was a sense of injustice within the squad, and we were determined to respond on the field."
The side's captain, Youri Tielemans, revealed: "We told ourselves we had to respond on the pitch. That's what we did."
Balogun had committed a nasty foul on Bosnia-Herzegovina's Tarik Muharemovic in USMNT's previous game, which looked sure to rule him out of the Belgium tie.
But FIFA chose to suspend his automatic one-match ban for 12 months instead, resulting in a heavy backlash.
The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) said it was "astonished" by the decision in a statement, with an appeal being rejected by FIFA.
The President spoke about Balogun's suspended ban on Monday (July 6), admitting that he asked FIFA to review the ban.
Trump went as far as claiming that the rightful one-game ban would have left a "big stain" on the tournament.
Speaking at the White House, he said: "I think it [the suspension] would have left a big stain,
"I can't tell them what to do. I don't believe they made the decision; I believe it was the commission that made the decision. And it was the right decision."
Luckily for FIFA, the decision meant nothing in the end as the US side were embarrassed in front of their home crowd.
Published 16:24 07 Jul 2026 GMT
After the World Cup’s co-hosts, the USA, lost 4-1 to Belgium last night, missing out on a place in the quarter-finals and being kicked out of the competition, soccer fans have begged the President to pull some strings and get their national team back in the game.
Since the country has been turfed out of the tournament, fans flocked to social media to ask Donald Trump to use his position of power to ask FIFA for another chance to prove themselves.
Fans have faith that a plea from Trump could work, as his request to review US top striker Folarin Balogun’s ban worked and got him back on the pitch.
The team’s top goal-scorer was set to miss out on the match against Belgium after receiving a red card in the US’ previous game against Bosnia and Herzegovina before Trump stepped in.
Unsurprisingly, soccer fans have begged the President to step in again and use his power to get the USA back into the global event of the year.
One soccer fan boldly claimed on social media: “The US can still win the World Cup if Donald Trump has the courage.”
Another person, although seemingly less convinced by Trump’s influence, said: “Do you think Trump will make another phone call to ask them to overturn Belgium’s win? I wouldn’t put it past him.”
A third added: “The officials were totally corrupt. Trump needs to call Gianni.”
Gianni Infantino took over as FIFA president promising to reform the organization following the major 2015 corruption scandal, but his tenure has since been dogged by a string of controversies and ethics questions.
He has faced multiple ethics investigations and controversies of his own, including a Swiss criminal probe into secret, undocumented meetings he held with the country's former Attorney General who was investigating football corruption at the time.
Unsurprisingly, Infantino faced intense criticism over alleged political interference after FIFA abruptly suspended a red-card ban for Balogun immediately following a phone call from Trump.
Despite the pleas from US soccer fans, it appears the co-hosts' World Cup campaign is over for good, regardless of any calls made to FIFA's top brass.
Even if the USA team did make it through the knock-out stages, they would have faced the rather strong Spanish team, and hopes of beating them would be even slimmer.
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