FIFA set for rule change after Balogun red card row at the World Cup: reports

Key points

• FIFA is expected to change a rule that allowed Folarin Balogun's red card to be overturned at the World Cup.
• The 37-member FIFA council will vote on prohibiting disciplinary committees from overturning automatic suspensions.
• FIFA Vice President Debbie Hewitt and others have asked Infantino to release all documents related to the case.

Football's global governing body is expected to change a rule that allowed a red card for USA forward Folarin Balogun to be controversially overturned during the World Cup, according to media reports on the agenda for Thursday's FIFA council meeting in Zurich.

The decision-making body is convening for the first time since this year's tournament, and a motion to prohibit such actions in the future will be top of the agenda. Members will also discuss the organisation's funding, rules and other matters amid a turbulent time in the sport.

The Balogun controversy

During the World Cup's round-of-32 match, Balogun received a red card for stepping awkwardly on the right ankle of Tarik Muharemovic of Bosnia in a 2-0 win for the home team. It triggered an automatic one-game suspension.

United States President Donald Trump urged FIFA President Gianni Infantino to review the case, and Balogun's red card was overturned, allowing him to play in the USA's round-of-16 match against Belgium. The decision ignited one of the tournament's biggest controversies, with widespread criticism from football federations, former FIFA officials, experts and coaches.

What the council will discuss

The 37-member FIFA council is expected to vote on whether to prohibit disciplinary committees from overturning automatic match suspensions at the World Cup, but the Balogun controversy is unlikely to go away. FIFA Vice President Debbie Hewitt is among the sport's leaders who have asked Infantino to release all documents related to the case.

Thursday's meeting is the first since Infantino came under fire earlier this year for a now-shelved plan to sell a 20 percent stake in the World Cup's commercial business to private investors. Infantino has faced calls to resign from the leaders of three regional football confederations – UEFA, AFC and CONCACAF – and their representatives will be present in Zurich, joined by counterparts from Africa, South America and Oceania.

The agenda includes a discussion of the failed FIFA Forward Enterprise scheme, which Infantino abandoned within days of announcing it in July. Under the plan, he proposed selling a minority stake in a FIFA commercial subsidiary to private investors, with a company launched by Joshua Kushner identified as the proposed lead investor. The council will also address FIFA's governance, with some powerful figures seeking to limit Infantino's powers. Infantino, 56, will stand for re-election in March 2027, with a November 18 deadline for candidate nominations.