Belgian football association says it will not back Infantino’s bid for re-election, citing the World Cup controversy.
Published On ۷ Sep ۲۰۲۶
Belgium’s football federation has withdrawn its support for Gianni Infantino’s bid to run for a fourth term as FIFA president, citing his handling of a controversial red card reversal of USA player Folarin Balogun during the ۲۰۲۶ World Cup and his plans to sell stakes in future world championships to private investors.
The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) released a statement on Monday, saying it rued Infantino’s lack of transparency in both issues and emphasised that it could not support the FIFA president.
FIFA confirmed Infantino’s intention to stand for re-election on Sunday, saying he had never changed the plans announced earlier this year and that he will throw his name in the hat for the March ۲۰۲۷ vote.
The ۵۶-year-old has lost support from several national associations and regional confederations since announcing his sell-off plan, which he eventually abandoned due to mounting pressure and growing backlash.
He was also the subject of criticism during the World Cup, when United States President Donald Trump thanked football’s world governing body for reversing USA forward Balogun’s red card before their crucial round of ۱۶ match against Belgium.
“Thank you to FIFA for doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
Unsurprisingly, the US football body welcomed FIFA’s decision to allow their leading World Cup goal scorer to play in the crucial knockout match.
“We accept the decision of the Disciplinary Committee and are pleased that Folarin Balogun is eligible to compete tomorrow,” US Soccer said in a statement.
The RBFA challenged FIFA’s decision, but its appeal was deemed “inadmissible” by the FIFA Appeal Committee. The Belgian association accused FIFA of a “breach” of regulations for not providing its justifications.
In its latest statement, the RBFA said it had “not yet received any satisfactory response”. It has asked FIFA to place the Balogun case on the agenda for the next FIFA Council meeting on October ۱۵.
It also highlighted the FIFA Forward Enterprise, a new FIFA-owned and controlled subsidiary inviting private investment into the World Cup, as one of the reasons behind its decision to pull out support for Infantino.
The RBFA said the investment plans raised “questions regarding the transparency and governance of this process”.
“It is essential that such cases are handled in a transparent and rigorous manner, in the interests of FIFA, good governance and the credibility of international football, with clear safeguards for the future,” the statement said.
The Belgian federation said it was in close contact with UEFA, European football’s governing body, over both issues and would continue pushing for greater transparency in FIFA decision-making.
RBFA president Pascale Van Damme confirmed that her team had been in communication with FIFA, but their questions remained unanswered.
“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,” she said.
