European Lawmakers Demand Inquiry of FIFA’s Actions Regarding Player Suspension

By ASSOCIATED PRESS

BRUSSELS (AP) — A group of European lawmakers is rallying support to initiate an investigation within the European Parliament aimed at probing FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s decision-making. The focus is on his involvement in allowing U.S. striker Folarin Balogun to participate in games despite having received a red card.

Balogun was sent off during the U.S. team’s victory against Bosnia-Herzegovina on July 1. Normally, this would render him ineligible for the subsequent match. However, FIFA overturned his suspension for a match on Monday, reportedly after U.S. President Donald Trump intervened with Infantino on behalf of the 25-year-old player.

European Parliament lawmakers Barry Andrews, Lara Wolters, and Niels Fuglsang expressed their disapproval in a joint statement, declaring that FIFA’s move to alter the red card suspension policy mid-tournament is a “disgrace and a perversion of justice.” The statement criticized the organization’s recurrent compliance with the Trump administration’s demands, particularly under Infantino’s direction.

The lawmakers are urging EU countries’ national football associations to push the FIFA Ethics Committee to investigate Infantino’s role and whether Trump’s influence affected the suspension’s revocation. They seek inquiry into potential political neutrality breaches, including the possibility of Trump receiving the FIFA Peace Prize.

FIFA responded by stating that a disciplinary committee was responsible for lifting the suspension.

So far, 35 colleagues have signed the letter supporting the call for investigation. The lawmakers emphasized that the charm of sport lies in its impartial and transparent rules. Infantino’s allowance of political pressure dictating player participation undermines this fairness, they asserted.