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The World Cup may be over, but there are some still upset over the controversy surrounding USMNT star Folarin Balogun’s red card suspension.
Norwegian Football Federation (NFF) president Lise Klaveness said she will ask her board of directors to file a formal ethics complaint over the incident. He called on FIFA to recognize the decision to suspend Balogun’s ban as a mistake.
“We need our leader at FIFA to say this was a mistake,” Klaveness told the Times. “If you start to adapt in this way towards state leaders and state politics, you will change your behavior and the behavior of the organization, and also the red line of what state leaders should interfere with. And that happened.”
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Norwegian Football Federation President Lisa Klaveness attends the European Women’s Football Gala 2023 at Antiga Fabrica D’Estrella Damm in Barcelona, Spain on November 6, 2023. (Cesc Maymo/WireImage)
Klaveness claimed that proper process was not followed and that violating the rules could jeopardize the entire game.
“This should not have happened in the first place. It is very important now to have honest communication about this. We all know that this verdict was influenced by outside forces and did not have the proper process,” Klaveness said. “When you break a rule like this, you’re on a slippery slope that will put the entire game at risk. It’s a concern for the game when the fundamental rules of the game are compromised.”
Klaveness described the case of FIFA suspending Balogun’s red card sanction as “serious” and “concerning”.
“This case was so serious and so worrying that I hope it can help people come out a little and not be afraid to bring up the cases,” he said. “I’ll take it to a board meeting and discuss it with my board, and then we’ll do it. To me, it should be in the same realm of ethical complaint.”
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United States President Donald Trump looks on before presenting the FIFA World Cup Winner’s Trophy to Spain after the 2026 FIFA World Cup final match between Spain and Argentina at New York and New Jersey Stadium on July 19, 2026 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Pablo Morano/BSR Agency/Getty Images)
President Donald Trump has reached out to FIFA President Gianni Infantino to ask the organization to review the decision to give a red card to American soccer star Folarin Balogun. The red card meant Balogun would have been suspended for the team’s knockout match against Belgium on Monday, but FIFA decided to suspend the one-match ban after Trump’s decision.
Trump addressed the controversy earlier this month.
“The only thing I did was ask for a review, because I didn’t think it was a mistake,” the president said. “And again, I’m good at these things. I didn’t think it was a foul. I thought it was two great athletes who ran into each other and got tangled up. It wasn’t a guy punching someone in the face or anything that was different.
“I think it’s terrible… if they hadn’t allowed a top player to play, maybe the best, maybe one of the best on the team, I think it would have been a big stain. I passed it on. I didn’t tell him what to do. I don’t think he made the decision. I think it was a committee that made the decision, and they made the right decision because, number one, it wasn’t a foul, and you want to see a game with your best players.”
Trump said that, first of all, he disagreed with the initial red card given to Balogun.
“If you had taken him out, I think it would have really tarnished this incredible championship,” Trump continued. “We have to have our best players and Belgium, by the way, Belgium has a great team. We have our best players and they have to have the best. If we win or lose, it’s fair. Otherwise, let’s say we lost against them, then we lost the game. It would be a terrible thing. I think they made a really brilliant decision.
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USA’s Folarin Balogun (20) walks off the field after losing to Belgium during their World Cup soccer round of 16 match in Seattle, Washington. Monday, July 6, 2026. (Ted S. Warren/AP Photo)
“I think the referee’s decision was horrible and no one talks about it. They talk about the red card like it’s okay. The referee’s red card decision, I didn’t know what the hell a red card was and when I found out I said, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me’… I said, ‘Wow, that’s a lot of power, that’s terrible.’ And then I looked at his past and it wasn’t that good.”
While Balogun was able to play, the USMNT lost 4-1 to Belgium on Monday night, ending their World Cup run in the round of 16.
Pak Gazette Digital contacted FIFA for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
