FIFA Disciplinary Committee Chair Accused of Unilateral Decision to Suspend Balogun's Red Card Following 'Pressure'

A scandal has erupted following revelations that the decision to suspend the red card disciplinary action against U.S. national team forward Folarin Balogun was made unilaterally by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee chairman, bypassing internal procedures.

The Times of the U.K. reported that "Mohamed Al Kamali, chairman of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee, made the unprecedented decision to suspend Balogun's match ban on his own, without seeking a single opinion or requesting the participation of the other 17 committee members in the deliberation process."

Previously, Balogun was set to miss the Round of 16 match against Belgium after being sent off for stepping on an opponent's ankle during the Round of 32 match against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

However, shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump allegedly placed a direct phone call to FIFA President Gianni Infantino to exert pressure, FIFA suddenly suspended the disciplinary action for one year, allowing Balogun to play in the Round of 16 match against Belgium.

Normally, adjusting the level of disciplinary action for a red card in a World Cup tournament or applying exception clauses requires strict consensus and deliberation among the members of the Disciplinary Committee.

It has now been revealed that Chairman Al Kamali completely bypassed this consensus process and issued the pardon unilaterally.

Because of this, FIFA did not even disclose the written reasons for the decision to suspend Balogun's disciplinary action at the time.

The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) immediately issued a statement, harshly criticizing the move as "unprecedented, incomprehensible, and unjustifiable."

Wayne Rooney, a legendary English football star, also fired back, stating, "It is an insult to the sportsmanship and fairness of football," and added, "President Infantino should be ashamed of himself."

The Royal Belgian Football Association had previously filed an official complaint with the FIFA Appeal Committee, arguing that the fundamental principle of 'fair play' had been undermined, but FIFA dismissed the case, arguing that Belgium was not a direct party to the original disciplinary proceedings.

Balogun, who received the pardon due to political pressure from President Trump and the unilateral decision of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee chairman, played the full match in the Round of 16 against Belgium, but the U.S. team suffered a 1-4 defeat.

Reported by Kim Minjeong | Video by Lee Ui-seon | Graphics by Lee Soo-min | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.