Norway football chief plans FIFA complaint over Balogun ban decision
Lise Klaveness says Norway will ask FIFA’s Ethics Committee to review the handling of Folarin Balogun’s World Cup red-card ban.
By Lucas Ferreira · Science & Environment Writer
3 min read
Norway’s football federation is preparing to complain to FIFA over the decision to pause Folarin Balogun’s World Cup suspension, after its president said outside political pressure had damaged confidence in the game’s rules. Lise Klaveness told The Times she would ask her board to support a filing with FIFA’s Ethics Committee.
The dispute stems from Balogun’s red card in the United States’ last-32 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina, which carried an automatic ban for the following match against Belgium. FIFA later suspended that punishment, and controversy grew after it emerged that United States President Donald Trump had called FIFA president Gianni Infantino about the case, AFP reported.
Klaveness, who has led the Norwegian Football Federation since 2022, told The Times the episode belongs “in the same sphere of ethical complaint” as another NFF complaint tied to FIFA. Norway has already challenged FIFA’s first Peace Prize, which Infantino awarded to Trump, according to AFP.
Klaveness said she would take the Balogun matter to an NFF board meeting before moving ahead. “I will bring it to a board meeting and discuss with my board, and then we do it,” she told The Times.
Klaveness says process must be addressed
FIFA’s action drew criticism because the red-card suspension was expected to apply for the Belgium match. Belgium went on to beat the United States 4-1 in the last 16, AFP reported.
Klaveness said the case should not be brushed aside. She told The Times that changing a rule in that way created a “slippery slope” and put “the whole game at risk.”
She also called for FIFA to acknowledge fault. “First of all, it should not have happened,” she said, adding that football needed clear communication about why the decision was made.
Klaveness argued that the case raised concerns about political influence over football administration. She told The Times that adapting decisions to state leaders and state politics risks shifting the boundaries of what political figures can try to influence.
The Times reported that the decision to suspend Balogun’s ban was made by Mohammad al-Kamali, the chairman of FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee, without consulting other committee members. Klaveness criticized that process, saying controversial decisions made after a powerful outside intervention require more voices in the room.
World Cup expansion also criticized
Klaveness, a former Norway international and a lawyer, said she is not planning to challenge Infantino in next year’s FIFA presidential election, according to AFP. She also criticized a South American proposal to expand the World Cup from 48 to 64 teams.
Norway reached the World Cup after a 28-year absence and lost to England in the quarterfinals. Klaveness said smaller countries had shown the case for a 48-team tournament, but argued that moving quickly to a 64-team event would create distrust and put more pressure on domestic leagues and confederations.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.