Balogun Red Card Reversal: Single FIFA Official Made Decision Without Consulting Peers

The controversy surrounding Folarin Balogun’s overturned suspension has taken a new turn: according to the Sunday Times, a single man made the decision without consulting his colleagues.

Journalist Martyn Ziegler reveals that Mohammad al-Kamali, president of FIFA’s disciplinary commission, acted alone to lift the automatic suspension of the American striker, without consulting any of the 17 other members of the body.

As a reminder, on July 5, FIFA announced it was canceling Balogun’s expulsion, which came during the Round of 16 match against Bosnia and Herzegovina (2-0). The AS Monaco striker was thus able to play in the quarterfinal against Belgium on July 6, a match the United States lost 1-4.

The decision was preceded by a call from U.S. President Donald Trump to his “friend” Gianni Infantino, FIFA president, fueling suspicions of political interference. To justify itself, the body invoked Article 27 of its disciplinary code, which allows it to “suspend in whole or in part the implementation of a disciplinary measure” — in this case in the form of a one-year suspended sentence.

If the Sunday Times revelations are confirmed, they raise profound questions about FIFA’s internal governance: such a sensitive decision, made during a world tournament and in a context of explicit political pressure, would have been made by a single Emirati official, in disregard of the collegial process meant to oversee the disciplinary commission.