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Only one FIFA official cleared USA's Folarin Balogun to play after red card, committee bypassed: Report
Fresh details have now emerged about how the decision was made, fuelling renewed scrutiny over FIFA's disciplinary process.
It has been a week since all three host nations crashed out of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the Round of 16. The United States bowed out with a 4-1 defeat to Belgium in Seattle, but the controversy surrounding FIFA's decision to overturn Folarin Balogun's suspension has refused to fade. Fresh details have now emerged about how the decision was made, fuelling renewed scrutiny over the governing body's disciplinary process.
According to a report in The Times, the decision to lift Balogun's automatic one-match suspension after his red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Round of 32 was made by a single member of FIFA's Disciplinary Committee. The report claims committee chairman Mohammad Al Kamali of the United Arab Emirates acted alone, without consulting the other 17 members of the committee.
Ironically, it was Al Kamali himself who had originally imposed Balogun's one-match ban before later replacing it with a one-year probation, clearing the USA forward to feature in the Round-of-16 clash against Belgium.
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The controversy deepened over the weekend when the BBC attempted to question Al Kamali about the decision. According to the report, the FIFA disciplinary chief declined to comment, walking past a reporter and cameraman without responding.
Earlier this month, multiple media reports claimed US President Donald Trump telephoned FIFA president Gianni Infantino three times following Balogun's dismissal against Bosnia and Herzegovina. Days later, FIFA overturned the suspension, triggering widespread criticism and allegations of political interference.
Trump later acknowledged contacting Infantino but insisted he had not asked for the red card to be overturned.
"Yes, I regularly discuss matters related to the FIFA World Cup with the President of the United States, and on this matter, I did receive a call from President Donald Trump, just as I receive calls from heads of state, government officials, football stakeholders and business executives from around the world on many different issues," Infantino said in a statement.
"During our conversation, I explained that there was an ongoing legal process involving FIFA's independent judicial bodies and that the case would be decided in due course by the competent bodies. That is how FIFA's system works, and it is a principle that I will always uphold."
Balogun ultimately returned for the knockout clash against Belgium, but the USA were comprehensively beaten 4-1 and eliminated from the tournament.
Belgium's players then rubbed salt into the wounds. Led by Romelu Lukaku, they appeared to mock Trump during their celebrations, while the Belgian football federation's official social media account posted a pointed message after the final whistle: "Overturn this."
