Pressure mounts on Gianni Infantino after more than 70 European Parliament members demanded an investigation into FIFA and its president, citing a potential breach of political neutrality following the decision to suspend the automatic ban on American striker Folarin Balogun during the World Cup, according to The Athletic.

Balogun was sent off in the United States' match against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the round of 32, and was supposed to automatically miss the round of 16 clash with Belgium, but FIFA's independent disciplinary committee suspended the implementation of the penalty, allowing him to start in the match that the US lost 4-1.

Before the match, the Belgian Football Association appealed against the decision, but FIFA rejected it.

US President Donald Trump confirmed that he had a phone call with Infantino during which he demanded a reconsideration of the penalty, describing the red card as a 'great injustice'.

Infantino later defended his position, affirming that FIFA's judicial bodies are independent and work autonomously, applying disciplinary regulations according to the rules and facts of each case.

He added that he explained to Trump during the call that the case was under legal proceedings at FIFA's independent judicial bodies, and the decision would be issued by the competent authority according to the applicable system, stressing that this principle would always be respected.

In a new development, 72 European Parliament members sent a letter to the presidents of national football associations in the 27 EU member states, urging them to act and pressure for an investigation into the decision-making process regarding the Balogun case.

This step followed a previous letter signed by 50 European MPs on June 29, in which they demanded that FIFA respond to an ethics complaint against Infantino concerning his awarding of the first 'FIFA Peace Award' to President Trump in December 2025, accusing him of committing 'repeated violations' of the principle of political neutrality.

The MPs affirmed in their letter that the decision to suspend the automatic one-match ban warrants intervention by European associations, as members of FIFA, to demand an official investigation into the decision-making process.

They noted that FIFA's statutes and code of ethics clearly stipulate the principle of political neutrality, with Article 4 of the statutes stating that 'FIFA remains neutral in political and religious matters,' while Article 15 of the code of ethics requires all football officials to maintain political neutrality, providing for strict sanctions against violators.

The MPs added that national associations bear responsibility for ensuring compliance with regulations and holding violators accountable, calling for support of previous demands by European Parliament members and the Norwegian Football Federation regarding an investigation into Infantino's relationship with President Trump, while expanding the investigation to also include the circumstances of the cancellation of the US player's penalty.

The Athletic reported that it contacted FIFA for an official comment but did not receive a response.

In a related development, Fair Square, an organization focused on sports and human rights issues, announced it would file a complaint with the International Olympic Committee against Infantino, accusing him of repeated violations of the principle of political neutrality.

Meanwhile, former Wales captain and ex-UEFA vice president Laura McAllister warned that the Balogun case could set a dangerous precedent.

She said that any political leader could in the future resort to calling and demanding a change in a player's penalty, citing this precedent, deeming it a grave risk to the integrity of football and undermining the independence of on-field sanctions.

On Monday, UEFA issued a statement describing the decision to suspend Balogun's ban as 'incomprehensible' and 'crossing a red line,' in one of the harshest criticisms directed at FIFA since the beginning of the crisis.