Secretive FIFA Panel Behind Balogun Decision Faces Scrutiny

The FIFA disciplinary committee is facing questions over its independence and opaque procedures after suspending Folarin Balogun’s red card.

FIFA’s disciplinary committee has come under renewed scrutiny over its structure and decision-making after it suspended the enforcement of United States striker Folarin Balogun’s one-match ban during the World Cup.

The 18-member body is chaired by Mohammad Al Kamali, an Emirati lawyer and former lawmaker who is permitted to issue decisions alone or delegate that authority to another committee member, the Financial Times reported.

Although the committee includes lawyers and football officials from several countries, its past 110 published decisions were each issued by a single adjudicator.

Balogun received a straight red card during the United States’ round-of-32 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina. The dismissal ordinarily should have triggered an automatic suspension from the next match.

However, the committee kept the disciplinary measure in place but suspended its implementation for a one-year probationary period under Article 27 of FIFA’s disciplinary code. The decision allowed Balogun to face Belgium in the round of 16.

FIFA announced the decision after US President Donald Trump contacted FIFA president Gianni Infantino and asked the governing body to review the red card.

The committee’s opaque procedures had intensified concerns over whether FIFA’s judicial bodies operate independently. Legal experts also questioned whether Article 27 could be used to override a suspension under World Cup regulations.

FIFA’s official description of the committee says decisions should normally involve at least three members, but allows the chairperson to rule alone in special cases. FIFA has not identified who personally decided the Balogun case or published the full reasoning.

Al Kamali said the committee acted independently and described the suspended sanction as a balanced measure permitted by FIFA’s rules. FIFA also said similar disciplinary mechanisms had been used in European football and in the earlier case involving Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo.

UEFA accused FIFA of crossing a “red line,” while the Belgian Football Association said the decision undermined fair play and complained that it had not received sufficient information to challenge the ruling.

The United States lost 4-1 to Belgium despite Balogun’s inclusion and were eliminated from the tournament.

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