Newsletter Subscribe
Enter your email address below and subscribe to our newsletter
[forminator_form id="25163"]
All voices matter
Belgium won’t back Infantino’s FIFA reelection over Balogun red-card controversy
- Belgium's football federation said Monday it will withhold support for FIFA President Gianni Infantino's reelection over unresolved governance concerns.
reuters+1 - The dispute stems from FIFA deferring Folarin Balogun's red-card ban after President Trump called Infantino, letting the U.S. striker face Belgium at the World Cup.
espn - UEFA is preparing a criminal complaint against Infantino, and multiple national associations, including England's FA, have also withdrawn support.
pbs
The Belgian football federation announced Monday it will not support FIFA President Gianni Infantino's bid for re-election, citing unresolved transparency concerns over the handling of Folarin Balogun's red-card suspension at the 2026 World Cup and broader governance failures.
The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) said FIFA has "shown no transparency" in explaining why Balogun's mandatory one-game ban was deferred after U.S. President Donald Trump personally urged Infantino to review the case, allowing the American striker to play against Belgium in their last-16 clash. Belgium won that match 4-1.reuters+1
"Two months after the events, we note that our questions remain unanswered to date," RBFA President Pascale Van Damme said in a statement. "We request the necessary explanations and, at the same time, wish to explore where improvements to the current processes are possible."espn+1
Mounting Pressure on Infantino
The Belgian federation's move adds to a growing list of national associations refusing to back Infantino, who confirmed Sunday through a FIFA spokesperson that he will stand for a final term through 2031 in next year's presidential election. The English FA has also withdrawn its support, and UEFA, European football's governing body, has led calls for Infantino to step down, saying it has lost confidence in his leadership.pbs+2
UEFA is also preparing a criminal complaint against Infantino in Swiss courts over possible financial mismanagement related to his abandoned plan to sell future World Cup profits to private investors for $4.2 billion. That proposal was withdrawn on Aug. 1 after intense backlash across the sport.espn+1
Governance Demands
Beyond the Balogun case, the RBFA raised concerns about FIFA Forward Enterprise, the vehicle through which FIFA proposed selling World Cup commercial rights. The federation said "a number of important decisions and assessments have, to date, not been sufficiently substantiated by adequate justifications."reuters+1
Belgium has asked FIFA to place the Balogun case on the agenda for the next FIFA Council meeting on Oct. 15 and said it remains in close contact with UEFA over both issues. Candidates for the FIFA presidency have until Nov. 18 to enter the race, four months ahead of the vote.dailysabah+3
Sources (6)
- 1 Belgium withholds support for Infantino over Balogun red-card row www.reuters.com
- 2 Belgian FA won't back Gianni Infantino's FIFA re-election, cites Folarin Balogun red card ban U-turn www.espn.com
- 3 Infantino to stand for re-election as FIFA president despite failed World Cup sell-off plan www.pbs.org
- 4 Infantino to seek FIFA re-election despite World Cup plan failure www.dailysabah.com
- 5 Belgium withdraws support for Gianni Infantino after Folarin Balogun controversy sports.yahoo.com
- 6 Belgian federation says it can't back Infantino for another FIFA term, cites Balogun red-card ruling www.bozemandailychronicle.com
