FIFA President Says Disciplinary Committee Is Independent; Trump Says "It Was Not a Foul"

[Financial News]  


Gianni Infantino, president of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), said on the 6th local time that he had no role in the controversy over the suspension reprieve for U.S. national team striker Folarin Balogun (AS Monaco FC).
Donald Trump, who is said to have called Infantino to secure the suspension reprieve for Balogun, said there was no foul in the match and that his protest was justified.
However, criticism is mounting that FIFA has gone too far by overturning its usual practice at the request of a single phone call from Trump, with the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) protesting that it had "crossed the red line."
Negative assessments are also emerging in the United States, where some say that if Balogun plays, even a win over Belgium will not be enough to avoid controversy.
In a statement posted on the "FIFA Media" X account that day, Infantino said, "FIFA judicial bodies are independent," arguing that they are beyond his influence. He added that FIFA's disciplinary committee operates autonomously and that "their independence must always be respected."
Balogun received a red card in the round-of-32 match against Bosnia and Herzegovina at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on the 2nd, making him ineligible to play in the round-of-16 match against Belgium on the same day.
However, FIFA informed the U.S. Soccer Federation the previous day that, following a decision by the disciplinary committee, it would suspend enforcement of Balogun's ban for one year. As reports spread that the decision came after Trump spoke with Infantino, criticism over fairness has intensified.
According to CNBC, Trump told reporters at the White House Oval Office, where he was launching the "Trump Accounts" initiative that day, that his call was justified and that there had been no foul in the first place.
He said, "I asked them to review it because I thought it was not a foul," adding, "I didn't even know what a red card was."
The Financial Times reported that criticism is growing that this episode is exposing serious problems within FIFA under Infantino, saying that the organization's decision-making is increasingly being distorted to fit political and commercial goals.
Miguel Maduro, a former head of FIFA's ethics committee, said the incident was "just another example proving that FIFA is a system of rules without the rule of law," adding that "the rules are being applied unfairly." He criticized FIFA for tailoring the rules to suit its political and financial interests.
Maduro was appointed by Infantino in 2016, but stepped down less than a year later after a conflict with him.

dympna@fnnews.com Song Kyung-jae Reporter