The Norwegian Football Federation (NFF) is preparing to file a formal complaint with FIFA’s ethics committee over the decision to suspend Folarin Balogun’s one-match ban during the 2026 World Cup, a move that followed a telephone call from US President Donald Trump to FIFA President Gianni Infantino. NFF President Lise Klaveness told The Times that she will ask her board at a meeting on 6 August to approve the complaint, which she intends to add to an existing NFF submission concerning FIFA’s award of its inaugural Peace Prize to President Trump. “To me, it should be in the same sphere of ethical complaint,” she said.

Klaveness argued that the suspension of the automatic ban—imposed after Balogun received a straight red card in the last-32 match against Bosnia and Herzegovina—was “influenced from external forces and did not have the proper process.” She called on Infantino to publicly acknowledge that the decision was an error, warning that “when you bend a rule like this, you’re on a slippery slope that will put the whole game at risk.” The NFF president, a former Norway international and lawyer, said the case was “so serious and so worrying” that it should encourage others to come forward, and she criticised FIFA for not publishing the full reasoning behind the disciplinary panel’s ruling.

The controversy has drawn sharp reactions from other football bodies. UEFA described FIFA’s actions as having “crossed a red line” and called the decision “unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable.” The Royal Belgian Football Federation said it was “deeply concerned” and had sought an explanation, but FIFA ruled its request inadmissible. The International Olympic Committee, of which Infantino is a member, noted that complaints to its ethics commission are confidential, but its charter prohibits members from accepting instructions liable to interfere with their freedom of action.

According to The Times, the decision to suspend Balogun’s ban was taken solely by the chairman of FIFA’s disciplinary committee, Mohammad al-Kamali, without consulting other members. Klaveness said that when a controversial decision is made after “an external, very powerful voice in your ear,” it is essential to have more voices involved. Balogun played in the round-of-16 match against Belgium, which the United States lost 4–1. The NFF board is expected to decide on 6 August whether to proceed with the ethics complaint, which would be the first formal challenge by a national federation to the handling of the Balogun affair.