FIFA president Gianni Infantino has been in the hotseat since it emerged that US star Flo Balogun was getting a lifeline for USA’s clash against Belgium, with criticism coming from all angles — now even from the British government.
The general consensus has been pretty consistent regarding this. Belgium’s FA, US soccer legend Brad Friedel, high-profile sports lawyer Nick De Marco, Gary Neville and Roy Keane… all condemning the decision.
And now British MP and Head of the UK’s Culture, Media and Sports Committee, Dame Caroline Dinenage, has joined the protests against Balogun’s suspended ban.
Dame Caroline Dinenage calls for explanation from FIFA over Balogun
Balogun was probably relieved when he found out he would be able to play against Belgium, but the backlash may well be changing his mind.
Such a ban just stinks of corruption, and Dinenage is calling out exactly that.
She wrote in a statement shared to X: “England’s inspirational victory in the early hours showed the World Cup at its very best, but this ruling by FIFA is threatening to cast a dark shadow on a tournament that should be a worldwide celebration of football.
“For sport to mean anything its rules and laws must be applied equally to all teams. FIFA needs to come out urgently and explain the basis of its decision and address the suggestions that there may have been political interference in the process.”
This is a message directed squarely at Infantino. He is the one being accused of corruption, and his apparent subservience to Donald Trump makes him an easy target.
But he won’t go down without a fight. In a lengthy statement posted to X, he wrote: “I have seen the public comments regarding the decision of the independent FIFA Disciplinary Committee related to the suspension of Folarin Balogun, and I would like to reiterate a fundamental principle of FIFA’s governance.
“FIFA’s judicial bodies are independent. 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 has remained firm in his stance that there was no outside interference on the verdict, not from Trump, himself or anyone not on the panel in question. But he does have to explain away the US president’s comments about a phone call.
He continued: “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.
“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.
“I read the decisions of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee when they are issued. Sometimes I am surprised by them. Sometimes I agree with them, and sometimes I disagree.
“What I always do, however, is respect those decisions and the autonomy of the bodies that make them. Whether we personally like a decision or not is irrelevant. Respect for independent institutions and the rule of law is what protects the integrity of our competitions and the credibility of FIFA at all times.”
It’s a thorough argument against the claims of corruption and backroom dealings, but it still does not explain why such a decision would be made.
FIFA were very clear about the inability to appeal red cards at this tournament.
That fact, paired with Trump taking the credit for the decision, makes all these words feel like fluff — an attempt to keep the pitchforks from being raised. As we are seeing in the British parliament and elsewhere, that’s the direction of travel.
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