FIFA break silence on messy World Cup saga as Keir Starmer wades in for England | Football | Sport
FIFA president Gianni Infantino has defended the governing body’s decision-making process after confirming he took a call from Donald Trump during the furore over Folarin Balogun’s suspension. The striker has been given the green light to feature in the USA’s last-16 encounter with Belgium at the World Cup. It comes after FIFA’s independent disciplinary committee suspended the automatic one-match ban triggered by his red card against Bosnia, sparking widespread criticism and claims of preferential treatment for one of the tournament hosts. The row escalated after Trump publicly revealed he had discussed the matter with Infantino, raising questions over whether political interference had swayed FIFA’s ruling.
Belgium have lodged an appeal and condemned FIFA, with formal legal proceedings now a distinct possibility. Infantino has since responded to those allegations in an extensive statement, maintaining that FIFA’s judicial bodies operate with complete independence and rejecting suggestions that external pressure influenced the verdict. He also disclosed that he routinely holds discussions with other world leaders on football matters, as it separately emerged that Keir Starmer stepped in to block FIFA from bringing forward kick-off at the Estadio Azteca amid fears the alteration could hand World Cup co-hosts Mexico an unfair edge over England.
It’s claimed Starmer intervened through diplomatic channels to block a proposal to move the match from 1am to 7pm BST, on the grounds that it would leave Thomas Tuchel’s side with insufficient time to acclimatise to the altitude.
Starmer directed the intervention after being alerted to the potential issue by the Football Association, which is understood to have reached out to Downing Street ahead of the fixture.
On the matter of Balogun, Infantino stated: “I have seen the public comments regarding the decision of the independent FIFA Disciplinary Committee related to the suspension of Folarin Balogun, and I would like to reiterate a fundamental principle of FIFA’s governance.
“FIFA’s judicial bodies are independent. They operate autonomously, apply the FIFA Disciplinary Code, and decide cases based on the applicable regulations and the specific facts before them. Their independence is essential to the credibility and integrity of football, and this must always be respected.”
The FIFA president confirmed he had spoken personally with Trump amid mounting uncertainty surrounding Balogun’s availability, but was emphatic that the matter would be resolved without outside influence.
He added: “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.
“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 further conceded that he does not always see eye-to-eye with rulings made by FIFA’s disciplinary authorities, yet emphasised that their independence must be safeguarded regardless of outside pressure.
“I read the decisions of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee when they are issued. Sometimes I am surprised by them. Sometimes I agree with them, and sometimes I disagree.
“What I always do, however, is respect those decisions and the autonomy of the bodies that make them. Whether we personally like a decision or not is irrelevant. Respect for independent institutions and the rule of law is what protects the integrity of our competitions and the credibility of FIFA at all times.”
The statement represents FIFA’s most forthright response to date regarding the controversy surrounding Balogun’s case, with critics calling into question why the United States forward has been permitted to play following his red card.
