IOC Rejects FairSquare Complaint

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has announced it will not investigate whether FIFA president Gianni Infantino was involved in the decision to suspend U.S. forward Folarin Balogun's one-match World Cup ban, despite a complaint from advocacy group FairSquare alleging breaches of political neutrality rules.

The IOC stated that the complaint against the 56-year-old head of world football's governing body had been thoroughly analyzed but fell outside the jurisdiction of its ethics commission. "The current complaint, with regard to the FIFA president, refers only to the international federation's decisions on its governance and its management, including its relations with government, and to the international federation's implementation of the rules of its sport, which are both outside the scope of application of the IOC code of ethics," the IOC said.

Background of the Balogun Situation

The controversy began when Balogun received a straight red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the World Cup round-of-32 stage for a foul on opponent Tarik Muharemovic. Under Article 10.5 of FIFA's rules for the tournament, this sanction automatically carried a one-game suspension.

However, FIFA's disciplinary committee subsequently suspended the sanction, making Balogun eligible to face Belgium in the next round. U.S. President Donald Trump later revealed he had called Infantino and asked for the case to be reviewed.

"All I did, I asked for a review, because I didn't think it was a foul," Trump said after the decision was reversed. "And again, I'm good at this stuff. I think they made a brilliant decision. I think the referee's call was horrible."

Balogun, 25, started the round-of-16 game against Belgium, which the U.S. lost 4-1, eliminating them from the tournament.

FairSquare's Allegations

FairSquare, a non-profit organization focusing on global labour migration rights, political repression and sport, filed the original complaint alleging that Infantino had breached the IOC charter by failing to adhere to rules on political neutrality through statements and expressions of support for President Trump.

The organization alleged Infantino had publicly supported Trump on five occasions, including:

• A video published on his Instagram account after attending an event linked to Trump's presidential inauguration in January 2025, concluding with "Together we will make not only America great again but also the entire world"
• A public endorsement of Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize in October 2025
• Comments at the American Business Forum in November 2025, describing Trump as "a really close friend"
• Presenting Trump with FIFA's inaugural Peace Prize at the World Cup draw in December, telling him: "You can always count, Mr. President, on my support"
• Appearance at the first meeting of Trump's Board of Peace in February, wearing a red "45-47" hat referencing Trump's non-consecutive presidencies

Norwegian Football Federation Responds

The IOC's decision comes a day after the Norwegian Football Federation (NFF) announced its intention to make a formal complaint to FIFA over Trump's role in the suspension of Balogun's World Cup ban.

"This case was so serious and so worrying that I hope that it might contribute to bringing people out a little bit and not fear bringing up cases," NFF president Lise Klaveness said in an interview with The Times of London. "I will bring it to a board meeting and discuss with my board, and then we do it (complain)."

Klaveness stated it was widely acknowledged the decision was "influenced" by "external forces" without due process and argued that working around rules put the fundamentals of the game in jeopardy.

European Parliament Involvement

Earlier this month, 72 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) wrote to the 27 heads of EU football associations, calling for an investigation into the decision-making process in the Balogun case. This followed 50 MEPs writing to FIFA on June 29, demanding it address an ethics complaint regarding Infantino awarding the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize to President Trump and alleging "repeated breaches" of FIFA's duty of political neutrality.

Infantino's Response

Infantino has denied interfering in the decision-making process and stated that FIFA's judicial bodies act independently. A statement on his behalf published on FIFA's website read: "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."

Infantino confirmed he had spoken on the phone with President Trump on this issue and said he pointed him to the independence of the committees. He stressed he spoke to Trump regularly on a range of issues, as he does with other heads of state.