The man to blame for Balogun ban controversy - and for once it's not Infantino

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FT Desk

The controversy from the Folarin Balogun fiasco continues as it was confirmed that one man and one man alone made the decision to overturn the United States striker's suspension in the 2026 World Cup.

In the USMNT's Round of 16 fixture against Bosnia & Herzegovina, the Monaco forward was shown a straight red card after a challenge on defender Tarik Muharemovic. As a result, he was automatically suspended for the Americans' quarter-final against Belgium after they secured their place in the next round.

But in a dramatic twist, reports surfaced claiming FIFA had rescinded Folarin Balogun's suspension, clearing him to face Belgium.

The Belgian Football Association reacted furiously, releasing a statement saying it was "astonished" by the ruling and insisting it would pursue justice regardless of the outcome of the match.

It was later revealed by United States President Donald Trump that he had personally contacted FIFA president Gianni Infantino to ask for Balogun to be made available for the Belgium fixture. FIFA subsequently lifted the suspension under Article 27 of its Disciplinary Code, which permits the organisation "to fully or partially suspend the implementation of a disciplinary measure."

Belgium initially received no further explanation for the decision. Infantino later sought to calm the growing controversy by stating that the ruling had been made by an independent disciplinary panel.

The FIFA president has received most of the ire from fans over the controversy, but it wasn't ultimately his decision.

That's because the decision was made alone by FIFA disciplinary chair Mohammad al-Kamali and, crucially, without the input of 17 other members of the disciplinary committee, as confirmed by The Times.

Before this case, The Times reported that numerous FIFA disciplinary rulings had indeed been handled by a single committee member, most often deputy chairman Jorge Palacio of Colombia. However, according to the a review of more than 100 previous published decisions, committee member Kamali, from the United Arab Emirates, had never previously acted as the sole decision-maker in a FIFA disciplinary case.

For higher profile discipline cases, a group is usually used instead of a single individual.

Al Kamali refuses to answer questions

Al Kamali has added to the controversy by refusing to answer any questions about the Balogun saga when approached by the BBC.

Before England's quarter-final against Norway, he was asked by reporter Dan Roan:

- Can we ask about the Balogun suspension and whether or not you were asked by the Fifa president to suspend that ban?

- Can you tell us anything about that at all?

- Can you tell us anything about that at all or why Jarell Quansah was given a two-match suspension?

- Can you make any comment about the way it's been portrayed or reported on?

- Anything at all you can say, sir?

Infantino previously distanced himself from the decision.

"Fifa's judicial bodies are independent," he said. "They operate autonomously… Their independence is essential to the credibility and integrity of football, and this must always be respected."

Now, the FIFA president could be the subject of an investigation by the European Parliament, reports ESPN.

In a joint statement, European Parliament members Barry Andrews, Lara Wolters, and Niels Fuglsang condemned FIFA's decision to alter its policy on red-card suspensions during the tournament, calling the move "a disgrace and a perversion of justice."

They also accused FIFA President Infantino and the governing body of once again yielding to pressure from the Trump administration.

According to Andrews, Wolters and Fuglsang, 35 members of the European Parliament have signed the letter so far requesting the investigation.

"The beauty of sport is that it is based on impartial and transparent rules. When Infantino allows political pressure to determine who gets to play, this sense of fairness goes out the window," the trio said.

Even though Belgium went on to eliminate the United States from the World Cup, the country's FA insist they will pursue an investigation into the matter regardless.