La Liga President Condemns FIFA’s Silent Complicity After Balogun Suspension Decision

La Liga president Javier Tebas has condemned the “complicit silence” surrounding FIFA following a controversial ruling that spared United States striker Folarin Balogun from suspension at the 2026 World Cup.

Balogun was cleared to play in the 4‑1 defeat to Belgium in the last 16 after FIFA’s disciplinary panel suspended his one‑game ban for a year.

UEFA, already at odds with FIFA over several matters, denounced the move as “unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable.”

Beyond Europe, however, there has been scant reaction from football officials to FIFA’s decision.

Conmebol, the South American confederation, issued a statement backing referee Raphael Claus after U.S. President Donald Trump called the Brazilian official “a bit suspect.” The body stopped short of criticizing FIFA or Trump, who disclosed he had asked for the ban to be reviewed.

Claus was the referee who shown Balogun a red card against Bosnia‑Herzegovina following a video‑assistant referee review.

Tebas described the Balogun case as the “tip of the iceberg,” arguing that a series of events has been “eroding the credibility of FIFA and football in general for many years.”

He accused FIFA of operating as a closed shop, where decisions are made prior to any vote and without consulting domestic leagues.

“And the worst of all is that much of the football world is aware of it, but too many prefer to maintain a complicit silence,” Tebas said on X. “Because staying quiet is more comfortable than defending independence, transparency, and good governance.

World football deserves institutions that are accountable, respect the rules, and govern with transparency—not through unilateral, discretionary, arbitrary decisions that erode the trust of fans, clubs, leagues, and players.”

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