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The Norwegian Football Federation (NFF) is set to file a formal complaint with FIFA regarding the contentious decision to overturn the one-match ban imposed on U.S. men's national team striker Folarin Balogun, a reversal allegedly triggered by intervention from the White House and President Donald Trump.
Balogun received a red card after inadvertently dragging his studs along the Achilles tendon of Bosnia and Herzegovina defender Tarik Muharemović, an incident officials ruled as serious foul play. World Cup regulations stipulated that the USMNT had no basis to challenge Balogun's ban—a position FIFA confirmed after the match—yet a stunning reversal followed a call from Trump, enabling Balogun to play against Belgium in the round of 16.
"When you bend a rule like this, you're on a slippery slope that will put the whole game at risk," said Lise Klaveness, president of the Norwegian Football Federation, in comments to The Times. "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.
"If you start to adapt in such a way towards state leaders and state politics, you will move your behavior and the organisation's behavior, and also the red line of what states' leaders should interfere with. And that happened."
Lack of Transparency Over Balogun Case 'Not Surprising'
Beyond the controversy surrounding Trump and the White House's involvement, further alarm was raised when it came to light that only a single member of FIFA's 18-person disciplinary committee had a hand in the ruling to lift the ban.
"When you make controversial decisions, and when there has been an external, very powerful voice in your ear, it's very important that you have more voices [making the decision]," Klaveness added. "And if you don't, it's a mistake.
"This case was so serious and so worrying that I hope that it might contribute to bring people out a little bit and don't fear to bring up cases. I will bring it to a board meeting and discuss with my board, and then we do it. To me, it should be in the same sphere of ethical complaint.
"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."
Norway's Previous Complaint to FIFA
FairSquare, a non-profit organization, lodged a complaint with FIFA's ethics committee in December 2025, accusing FIFA president Gianni Infantino of violating rules on political neutrality and calling for an inquiry into the decision to present Trump with the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize.
Klaveness and the NFF subsequently threw their support behind the complaint, taking aim at Infantino for awarding the Peace Prize without seeking input from the FIFA council. As recently as June, more than 50 members of the European Parliament called for a formal response to the complaint.
With the matter yet to receive any public acknowledgment, Klaveness plans to incorporate the controversy surrounding Balogun's suspension into her existing case.
President Trump 'Eyeing U.N. Role' for Infantino
New questions about the ties between Trump and Infantino surfaced following a New York Post report claiming that Trump is keen to see the FIFA president become the next secretary-general of the United Nations.
"Only President Trump could have such a genius idea," remarked Paolo Zampolli, Trump's special envoy for global partnerships and a close personal associate of Infantino.
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"At the United Nations, you have to deal with 193 member states. In FIFA, there are over 200 members [and] Gianni's great record shows he knows how to manage."
The role will open up in December when António Guterres is due to step down. Any prospective successor would require the backing of the 15-member security council. Whether Infantino, who intends to seek re-election as FIFA president next year, has any interest in the position remains uncertain.