Overview
- A Times report that emerged over the weekend says Mohammad al‑Kamali, chairman of FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee, decided on his own to suspend Folarin Balogun’s automatic one-match red-card ban rather than convene the full committee.
- FIFA confirmed the outcome was a suspension under Article 27 of its Disciplinary Code that places Balogun on one year of probation and includes a fine, not a formal rescission of the red card.
- President Donald Trump acknowledged phoning FIFA president Gianni Infantino to request a review and Infantino confirmed the call while asserting FIFA’s judicial bodies are independent.
- UEFA, the Royal Belgian Football Association and other stakeholders publicly condemned the decision, and Belgium’s appeal of the ruling was denied by FIFA.
- Reporters who approached al‑Kamali were met with silence and FIFA has so far released limited explanation of the legal reasoning, prompting calls for greater transparency and possible independent review of the disciplinary process.