Lone FIFA official made decision to suspend…
Even with the United States eradicated from the World Cup, the fallout from FIFA’s decision to suspend the match ban for Folarin Balogun has continued, as new particulars have emerged about how the FIFA Disciplinary Committee reached its decision.
The committee chairman, Mohammad al-Kamali of the United Arab Emirates, made the call on his own without any of the other 17 members being requested for enter, according to a report by The Times.
The new revelation only provides to the outcry over the decision and raises more questions as to why it was made in the first place.
Balogun, who had been one of the U.S. males’s national workforce’s best gamers in the World Cup, ended up not having a vital affect in the Americans’ embarrassing 4-1 loss to Belgium in the Round of 16.
The U.S. star had been given a purple card for a controversial play in the United States’ win over Bosnia-Herzegovina, which resulted in an automated suspension for the next match in the match.
Folarin Balogun (20) of USA warms up forward of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 16 match between USA and Belgium at Lumen Field (Seattle Stadium) in Seattle, Washington, United States on July 6, 2026. Anadolu via Getty Images
United States’ Folarin Balogun (20) fouls Bosnia’s Tarik Muharemovic (4) during the World Cup spherical of 32 soccer match between the United States and Bosnia. AP Photo/Jeff Chiu
Kamali was the one who gave him the one-match ban and then deferred it for a probationary period of one yr, permitting Balogun to play in the quarterfinals against Belgium.
The FIFA Disciplinary Committee chairman refused to reply questions when he was approached by the BBC over the weekend, maintaining his head down and just strolling as a reporter and cameraman with the outlet tried to get him to reply.
FIFA has not commented on the new reporting by The Times.
The decision to carry the automated one-match ban began a ripple among other nations and followers, and only grew after President Donald Trump told reporters that he called FIFA president Gianni Infantino over the initial purple card.
Trump had said that he requested Infantino to review the purple card but, “didn’t tell him what to do.”
Folarin Balogun holds off Julien Ngoy of Belgium in the second half. ISI Photos via Getty Images
“Yes, I regularly discuss matters related to the FIFA World Cup with the President of the United States, and on this matter, I did receive a call from President Donald Trump, just as I receive calls from heads of state, government officials, football stakeholders and business executives from around the world on many different issues,” Infantino said in a assertion addressing the matter. “During our conversation, I explained that there was an ongoing legal process involving FIFA’s independent judicial bodies and that the case would be decided in due course by the competent bodies. That is how FIFA’s system works, and it is a principle that I will always uphold.”
Infantino is dealing with an ethics grievance over the issue and Trump’s potential involvement.
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