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. librea.one

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.

الأخبارفي كأس آسيا للشباب بالهند.. «عنابي السلة» يستهل مشواره بمواجهة إيرانيستهل منتخبنا الوطني لكرة السلة تحت 18 عامًا مشواره في كأس آسيا، عندما يلتقي نظيره الإيراني على صالة فير سافاركار المغلقة بمدينة أحمد آباد الهندية، في افتتاح مباريات المجموعة ال...فتح →

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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Kansas City: Argentina set up a World Cup semi-final against England as Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez scored in extra time to propel the reigning champions to a 3-1 win over Switzerland on Saturday.

Alvarez's curling shot and Martinez's tap-in settled a tense contest after Alexis Mac Allister had opened the scoring and Dan Ndoye equalised for the Swiss, who had Breel Embolo sent off in the second half.

تأهل منتخب فرنسا اليوم الخميس الى الدور نصف النهائي من بطولة كأس العالم لكرة القدم 2026 بعد فوزه على نظيره المغرب بهدفين دون رد ضمن مباريات دور الثمانية من البطولة.

فعلى استاد جيليت في مدينة فوكسبورو الامريكية تفوق المنتخب الفرنسي على نظيره المغربي بالمستوى الفني وتحكم بأغلب مجريات اللعب حتى حقق الفوز والتأهل الى الدور نصف النهائي.

وبدأ المنتخب الفرنسي المباراة بقوة وخلق فرصا عديدة على المرمى المغربي حتى احتسب الحكم ركلة جزاء لصالحه بالدقيقة ال28 اخفق اللاعب كيليان مبابي بتسجيلها بعد تصدي الحارس ياسين بونو للكرة.

وفي الشوط الثاني استمر المنتخب الفرنسي بضغطه على المنتخب المغربي اسفرت عن تسجيل الهدف الاول بالدقيقة ال60 عبر اللاعب كيليان مبابي ليضيف بعدها زميله عثمان ديمبلي الهدف الثاني بالدقيقة ال66 ليتأهل لدور الاربعة.

وستواجه فرنسا في الدور نصف النهائي الفائز من مباراة اسبانيا امام بلجيكا.

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Los Angeles, United States: Super sub Mikel Merino broke Belgian hearts and sent Spain through to a World Cup semi-final against France with a late goal in a gripping 2-1 win on Friday.

The stunning finish at SoFi Stadium sets up a tantalizing showdown between European champions Spain and the tournament favorites France and the red-hot Kylian Mbappe in Dallas on Tuesday.

But it was heartbreak for Belgium's substitute goalkeeper Senne Lammens, sent on late, who spilled a shot into the path of Merino.

The dramatic finale came after Fabian Ruiz had opened the scoring for Spain, before Charles De Ketelaere grabbed one back for Belgium against the run of play before halftime.

Welcoming Kevin De Bruyne and Jeremy Doku back to the starting XI, Belgium were rocked by a hamstring injury during the warm-ups to captain Youri Tielemans that hit them hard.

Having already lost Amadou Onana to a ruptured ACL, the Red Devils would have to play a near second-choice midfield against the Spanish possession masters.

Ruiz, brought in for Pedri, wasted no time combining with Rodri to dominate the ball and Barcelona's teen sensation Lamine Yamal curled an early shot just wide of the far post.

But opposing winger Doku was bright for Belgium, cutting in from the left to feed De Ketelaere, the striker fresh from his brace against the United States on Monday.

Still, it was Spain who struck first. On the half-hour mark, Pedro Porro played a sharp one-two with Lamine Yamal before expertly cutting it back from near the byline to Dani Olmo.

Olmo's shot was parried by Thibaut Courtois, but fell to Ruiz, who fired it home.

Suddenly it was all Spain. They pinged passes around the Belgian half as though this World Cup quarter-final was a training exercise, laid on for an A-list crowd featuring Brad Pitt, Penelope Cruz and Noel Gallagher.

But Belgium, having fought back astonishingly late from 2-0 down in the round-of-32 to dispatch Senegal, did not panic.

They grabbed one back in the 41st minute. De Bruyne slid a through ball wide to Timothy Castagne. His cross found De Ketelaere, who perfectly timed his run and outmuscled Barcelona youngster Pau Cubarsi to head home.

It was the first goal Spain had conceded this World Cup.

Improbably, Belgium almost grabbed another before half-time. Breaking from a Spain corner, De Ketelaere's pass to a totally clear Doku was barely intercepted by Olmo.

Yamal grew into the game after the break, nearly finding Mikel Oyarzabal with an incisive cross that was well blocked by a charging Courtois.

Belgian coach Rudi Garcia brought on veteran striker Romelu Lukaku, who had scored from the bench in three straight games.

The game opened up. A Belgian cross hit Rodri's arm but the impact was deemed accidental. Oyarzabal had a shot saved from a close, tight angle.

A tearful Courtois was forced off by injury after 70 minutes. He was replaced by Lammens, the 24-year-old Manchester United 'keeper making his World Cup debut in daunting circumstances.

It turned out to be a nightmare.

In the 88th minute, Cubarsi shot low from range, and Lammens should have held onto the ball. Instead substitute Mikel Merino was first to the rebound, smashing it home.

It was the Arsenal midfielder's second straight late winner from the bench, after he scored the crucial goal against Portugal in stoppage time on Monday.

Late on Alexis Saelemaekers rounded Unai, but was unable to find Lukaku in front of an open goal.

As the whistle blow, Courtois came out to embrace a distraught Lammens, while other members of Belgium's ageing "Golden Generation" stood immobile and disbelieving.

For Spain there were embraces and fist pumps, before attention quickly turns to their blockbuster clash with France.