Tebas slams FIFA’s silence after Balogun suspension controversy

FIFA’s handling of Folarin Balogun’s red card has become a governance test as much as a disciplinary one. La Liga president Javier Tebas called the reaction around FIFA a “complicit silence” after the governing body lifted Balogun’s automatic one-match suspension and allowed the United States forward to play against Belgium in Seattle on Monday, July 6, 2026.

Balogun was sent off on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, in the United States’ 2-0 win over Bosnia-Herzegovina after stepping on defender Tarik Muharemović’s ankle. FIFA’s disciplinary committee then moved to suspend the ban provisionally for one year and fine Balogun US$40,000, citing article 27 of its disciplinary code. That ruling erased the immediate punishment that would normally have kept him out of the round-of-16 match.

The decision landed in the middle of a wider political storm. Donald Trump publicly said he had asked for a review of the sending-off, and FIFA said president Gianni Infantino denied having any role in the outcome. UEFA responded sharply, saying FIFA had “crossed a red line” and calling the move “unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable.” Belgium’s football authorities also challenged Balogun’s eligibility and told the United States Soccer Federation that they contested his place on the team sheet. FIFA’s appeals committee dismissed that challenge less than eight hours before kickoff.

Tebas argued that the Balogun case was not an isolated error but “the tip of the iceberg” of a system that has worn down FIFA’s credibility. In his post, he said decisions are being made without real dialogue with domestic leagues and accused FIFA Congresses of being staged displays of unanimity. He also said many in football prefer a “silencio cómplice” rather than push for transparency and independent oversight.

The stakes were not just bureaucratic. Balogun, 25, was born in New York to Nigerian parents and raised in London, and he had scored three World Cup goals before the suspension fight erupted. The controversy followed him into a match that Belgium won 4-1, sending the United States out of the tournament and intensifying scrutiny of how FIFA handles discipline when pressure from federations, politicians and senior football figures collides with tournament play.

Jürgen Klopp also joined the backlash against Infantino, and calls for the FIFA president to resign followed. What remains under dispute is not only Balogun’s eligibility, but whether FIFA applies its rules evenly when the people involved are powerful enough to force a reversal.