Belgium withdraws support for Gianni Infantino after Folarin Balogun controversy

Belgium’s national football governing body has confirmed it will not support Gianni Infantino’s campaign for another term as Fifa president, pointing to serious concerns over transparency, governance, and the ruling that cleared Folarin Balogun from serving a mandatory World Cup suspension.

Infantino, the head of world football’s governing body, has come under growing pressure after a controversial proposal to sell commercial stakes in the World Cup provoked significant backlash. Despite the opposition, Fifa announced on Sunday that he intends to stand again in next year’s election for a final term that would keep him in power until 2031.

In a statement released on Monday, the Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) stated its refusal to back Infantino stems from Fifa having "shown no transparency" regarding the Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) initiative and the handling of Balogun’s red card.

Under the FFE scheme, Fifa proposed selling stakes in the World Cup to private equity firms for $4.2 billion. The plan was swiftly withdrawn on 1 August, just days after coming to light, following intense criticism across the sport.

"The RBFA notes that, in this matter, a number of important decisions and assessments have, to date, not been sufficiently substantiated by adequate justifications," the Belgian federation said. "This raises questions regarding the transparency and governance of this process. We remain in close contact with Uefa and, together, we are seeking clear answers regarding the decision-making process and the next steps."

Uefa, the governing body for European football, has led calls for Infantino to step down, stating it has lost confidence in his leadership and previously threatening to boycott Fifa tournaments, including the World Cup. A growing number of member associations, including the English FA, have already withdrawn their support for Infantino’s re-election.

Regarding Balogun, the Belgian FA said Fifa has failed to provide a satisfactory explanation for its intervention or clarify how similar disciplinary matters will be managed in the future.

The dispute erupted after US president Donald Trump contacted Fifa president Infantino, prompting Fifa to defer Balogun’s mandatory one-game ban for a red-card tackle against Bosnia & Herzegovina. The decision allowed the forward to feature against Belgium with a quarter-final place at stake.

Belgium went on to defeat the United States 4-1 following 36 chaotic hours at the tournament, with Belgian players seemingly motivated by the controversy.

"Two months after the events, we note that our questions remain unanswered to date," said Pascale Van Damme, the president of the RBFA. "Given the importance of transparency and clarity for all parties involved, we request the necessary explanations and, at the same time, wish to explore where improvements to the current processes are possible, so that similar cases can be handled in a clear, consistent and efficient manner in the future."

The Belgian federation has requested that Fifa formally add the Balogun case to the agenda for the next meeting of the Fifa Council on 15 October.

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