European Lawmakers Demand Investigation Into FIFA President Over U.S. Red Card Reversal
· Time
Dozens of members of the European Parliament have called for an investigation into FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s role in the decision to suspend the red card ban on an American player following a call from President Donald Trump.
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In a letter to the presidents of the European Union football associations, 72 European lawmakers on Wednesday pressed them to lend their voices to the push for a probe into whether Infantino was involved—and whether “pressure from the US Administration was a factor in the decision.”
“Member associations have an important role to play in ensuring that rules are upheld and that those who break them are held accountable,” the group of European lawmakers wrote. “In that regard, we urge you to add your voice to recent calls in support of an investigation into Gianni Infantino’s links to President Trump.”
They underlined that the “requirement of political neutrality is clearly outlined in both the FIFA Statutes and the Code of Ethics,” pointing to an article requiring that “FIFA remains neutral in matters of politics and religion.”
U.S. striker Folarin Balogun was given a red card last week during the Americans’ round of 32 match against Bosnia and Herzegovina, a call that put the team’s lead scorer in the tournament out for the rest of that game and was set to bar him from participating in their next one as well.
In a controversial decision, however, FIFA suspended that one-match ban days later and Balogun was permitted to play in the next round against Belgium, where the U.S. team was ultimately eliminated. FIFA cited a portion of its disciplinary code that gives the organization broad discretion to “fully or partially suspend the implementation of a disciplinary measure.”
Trump confirmed to reporters that he had called Infantino following the round of 32 game and asked for a review of the matter, and later posted on Truth Social thanking the organization for “doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice!”
Read More: Trump's FIFA Intervention Draws Global Backlash
Infantino also confirmed that he spoke with Trump, but denied involvement in the decision to reverse Balogun’s red card ban.
“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,” Infantino said in a statement released by FIFA regarding his conversation with Trump. “That is how FIFA’s system works, and it is a principle that I will always uphold.”
He also acknowledged in the statement that he had seen “the public comments regarding the decision,” of which there were many from different soccer associations across Europe.
The Union of European Football Associations, the governing body of soccer in Europe, wrote in a statement that the reversal “crossed a red line,” calling it “unjustifiable.”
“When the certainty of rules is no longer guaranteed by its guardians, the integrity of the game is at stake and the credibility of a competition is undermined,” the organization said.
Wednesday’s letter was the second members of the European Parliament have sent in recent days raising questions about Infantino’s ethics and pressing for decisions the organization has made in connection with Trump to be investigated.
In another letter last week, 50 members of the body wrote to Infantino himself and members of the FIFA council voicing their support for an ethics complaint filed by nonprofit organization FairSquare regarding Infantino’s decision to award Trump the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize in December.
“Perhaps the most troubling development of the tournament has been FIFA's decision to award the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize to Donald Trump,” the lawmakers wrote. They went on the urge that the organization “must address Fairsquare's ethics complaint and demonstrate that it upholds the core values of fairness, equality, and respect for human dignity.”
Infantino, upon awarding Trump the FIFA Peace Prize, said it was in “in recognition of his exceptional and extraordinary actions to promote peace and unity around the world.”
“This is what we want from a leader, a leader that cares about the people,” he said.
After a flurry of criticism over the award, Infantino defended his decision.
In an interview with Sky News, Infantino said of Trump, "objectively, he deserves it,” and went on to highlight Venezuelan opposition leader and 2025 Nobel Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado’s past praise of Trump.