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Belgium withholds support for Infantino over Balogun red-card row
07th September, 2026 01:42 PM
Belgium will not support Gianni Infantino’s bid for another term as FIFA president unless it receives satisfactory answers over the handling of the Folarin Balogun’s red-card case at the World Cup and other governance concerns, the country’s football federation (RBFA) said on Monday.
Belgium has sought explanations over the disciplinary process involving Balogun, whose automatic red-card ban was suspended by FIFA, allowing the U.S. striker to face Belgium in their World Cup last-16 clash after U.S. President Donald Trump personally urged Infantino to review the case.
Adequate justification
The RBFA said soccer’s world governing body had yet to provide adequate justification for its decision or explain how similar cases would be handled in the future.
“It is essential that such cases are handled in a transparent and rigorous manner, in the interests of FIFA, the good governance and the credibility of international football, with clear safeguards for the future,” RBFA said in a statement.
The federation has asked FIFA to place the Balogun case on the agenda for the next FIFA Council meeting on October 15, 2026.
The other issue centres on FIFA Forward enterprise where the RBFA said several decisions and assessments had not been sufficiently justified, raising broader concerns about transparency and governance.
The RBFA had opposed FIFA’s proposed sale of a stake in World Cup commercial rights, saying it remained committed to “a strong, independent and sustainable model for international football.”
Pushing for transparency
“My team at the RBFA communicated with FIFA in a composed and constructive manner, both during and after the World Cup, in order to obtain clarity in the Balogun case. Two months after the events, we note that our questions remain unanswered to date,” RBFA President Pascale Van Damme said.
“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.”
The Belgian federation said it remained in close contact with European soccer’s governing body UEFA over both issues and would continue pushing for greater transparency in FIFA decision-making.
