Infantino Faces EU Probe Over Balogun Red Card Reversal

FIFA president Gianni Infantino is under fresh political pressure after 72 members of the European Parliament demanded a formal investigation into his handling of the Folarin Balogun affair, in which the USA striker’s red-card suspension was lifted following a direct appeal from the White House.

The MEPs have written to the heads of all 27 EU football associations, urging them to push for an inquiry into how the decision was reached. Their intervention comes after it emerged that President Donald Trump had personally called Infantino to lobby on Balogun’s behalf before the USA’s last-16 clash with Belgium.

The lawmakers built their case around FIFA’s own governance rules, pointing to the statute requiring the organization to stay neutral on political and religious matters, as well as the ethics code obligating officials to remain politically impartial. They also threw their support behind the Norwegian Football Federation’s calls for closer scrutiny of the case.

Infantino has pushed back against the criticism, maintaining that FIFA’s judicial bodies act independently and apply disciplinary rules without outside interference. He said he simply explained to Trump that the matter was going through an ongoing legal process and would ultimately be resolved by the appropriate authorities, rather than intervening in the outcome himself.

UEFA has continued to press the issue as well, despite Belgium’s 4-1 win over the USA on the pitch. European football’s governing body warned that the credibility of the tournament is at risk when the certainty of the rules can no longer be guaranteed, and said the decision now sets a precedent that demands consistent treatment for any similar situations for the rest of the competition, repeating its earlier disbelief at what it called an unjustifiable ruling.