FIFA's Hidden Disciplinary Panel Under Scrutiny Over Balogun Ban
FIFA’s 18-member disciplinary panel, chaired by Mohammad Al Kamali, operates largely in private and can rule alone, a setup critics say lacks transparency; its handling of Folarin Balogun’s one-match red-card ban—suspended after lobbying from President Donald Trump—plus historical decisions like Cristiano Ronaldo’s case, highlight questions about rule applications and the rarity of appeals, with many rulings never published publicly.
