Human rights organisation FairSquare has submitted a formal complaint to the International Olympic Committee alleging that FIFA president Gianni Infantino breached political neutrality rules in his handling of Folarin Balogun’s World Cup suspension reversal. The controversy erupted after former United States president Donald Trump admitted he personally intervened to overturn the Monaco striker’s red card ban, allowing him to face Belgium in the last 16.
Balogun Predicted Backlash
Balogun was dismissed during the United States’ round-of-32 victory against Bosnia and Herzegovina for a challenge on Tarik Muharemovic. FIFA’s disciplinary committee subsequently suspended his one-match ban for a year, permitting his return for the knockout defeat to Belgium. The striker told CBS he anticipated the decision would generate significant fallout. “My initial reaction was I was happy to be back in the team, but when I kind of started to reflect, I knew it was going to cause a lot of controversy,” he said. “A lot of outside noise, and that’s hard to avoid.”
The Arsenal academy graduate maintains the sending-off was incorrect. “I was in shock. It wasn’t even a tackle,” Balogun stated. “When something’s not intentional it should never be a red card.”
Ethics Complaint and Procedural Concerns
FairSquare’s complaint alleges five clear breaches of the IOC’s political neutrality regulations, alongside evidence of two further serious violations including the Balogun affair. The group contends that Infantino, who became an IOC member in 2020, compromised the Olympic Charter through his dealings with Trump regarding the US co-hosts.
The disciplinary process itself has attracted scrutiny. The Times reported that committee chair Mohammad Al Kamali made the decision to suspend the ban unilaterally, having never previously acted as sole arbiter in any published disciplinary case. FIFA has offered no public explanation for why the suspension was lifted.
International Pressure Mounts
This marks FairSquare’s second intervention following a December complaint to FIFA’s ethics committee regarding Infantino’s conduct. The Norwegian football federation subsequently wrote to the same committee requesting consideration of the allegations, while fifty members of the European Parliament submitted a letter on 29 June urging immediate action.
FairSquare has confirmed receipt of its IOC complaint but awaits further response. Neither FIFA nor the IOC has commented publicly on the latest developments.