European Lawmakers Criticize FIFA Chief Over Red Card Controversy

European lawmakers are calling for an investigation into FIFA President Gianni Infantino. The inquiry concerns his decision to allow U.S. striker Folarin Balogun to play despite a previous red card.

Balogun received the card during a match against Bosnia-Herzegovina on July 1. Normally, this would have barred him from the next game. However, FIFA lifted the suspension for a match following the intervention of U.S. President Donald Trump with Infantino.

In a joint statement, European Parliament members Barry Andrews, Lara Wolters, and Niels Fuglsang expressed their disapproval. They called FIFA’s decision to amend red card suspension rules mid-tournament a “disgrace.” They accused Infantino and FIFA of giving into pressure from the Trump administration.

“Once again, we’ve seen Infantino and FIFA surrender to the demands of the Trump administration,”

said the lawmakers. They requested that national football associations in EU countries urge the FIFA Ethics Committee to look into Infantino’s actions. They questioned whether the lifting of Balogun’s suspension involved political influence and raised concerns over other possible political neutrality breaches, such as awarding Trump the FIFA Peace Prize.

FIFA claimed that the suspension was lifted by its disciplinary committee. Meanwhile, 35 other lawmakers have joined the call for this investigation.

“The beauty of sport is that it relies on impartial and transparent rules,” they emphasized. They warned that Infantino’s acceptance of political pressure undermines this fairness.