Norway prepares to file formal complaint to FIFA over Balogun red card case

The Norwegian Football Federation is preparing to file a formal complaint to the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) regarding the suspension of the red card ban imposed on American player Folarin Balogun in the 2026 World Cup.

Norwegian federation president Lise Klavenes told The Times that she will seek support from her board during a meeting on August 6 to file the complaint to FIFA's ethics committee over an incident that 'should never have happened' and put 'the entire game at risk'.

The Norwegian federation had previously filed a formal complaint over FIFA President Gianni Infantino awarding the peace prize created by the international federation to US President Donald Trump, a move that was met with widespread ridicule.

Klavenes said in an interview published by The Times on Thursday: 'I will present the matter at the board meeting and discuss it with its members, and then we will do it.' She added: 'For me, this should fall within the same framework as the ethics complaint.'

Trump's intervention in the Balogun case was what sparked controversy. The red card given to the player against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the round of 32 led to an automatic suspension for the match against Belgium, but FIFA intervened and suspended the ban, sparking a wave of criticism, especially after it emerged that Trump had intervened by calling Infantino.

Belgium seemed to draw motivation from the case, achieving a landslide victory over one of the three host countries with a 4-1 score.

Klavenes said: 'When you bend a rule in this way, you are taking a slippery slope that will put the entire game at risk.' She continued: 'It is concerning for the game when the basic rules are compromised. First and foremost, this should never have happened. And it is very important now that there is open communication about what happened.'

She added: 'We all know that this decision was influenced by external forces and did not follow proper procedures. We need our leader at FIFA to acknowledge that what happened was wrong.' - Rejection of the 64-team proposal - Klavenes, the former Norwegian international who has been federation president since 2022, considered that bowing to the wishes of a head of state constitutes a dangerous precedent.

She added: 'If you start adapting in this way to state leaders and government policies, you will change the behavior of yourself and the organization, as well as the red line regarding how much state leaders can interfere, and that is what happened.'

Klavenes also expressed dismay that the decision to suspend the ban, according to The Times, was taken unilaterally by the chairman of FIFA's disciplinary committee, Emirati Mohamed Al Kamali, without consulting other members. She said: 'When you make controversial decisions, and when there is a highly influential external voice whispering in your ear, it is very important that there are other voices involved in decision-making. If that does not happen, it is a mistake.' She affirmed that the case cannot simply be folded and forgotten, adding: 'Trying to sweep this under the rug now will not work. Many people felt that this... from coaches, players, and fans... got too close to the heart of the game.'

Klavenes, who insists she is not a candidate to challenge Infantino in next year's presidential election, also sharply criticized the proposal from South America to increase the number of final tournament teams from 48 to 64.

Norway had made a successful return to the finals after a 28-year absence, before losing to England in the quarterfinals.

Klavenes said: 'Small countries like ours, which had not participated in the tournament for 20 years, have proven that the World Cup can be expanded to 48 teams.' She continued: 'But it is not in the interest of football, nor is it even logical, to start talking about 64 teams now. The move to 48 teams was a big change.'