The Belgian football federation has announced it will not support Gianni Infantino’s re-election as FIFA president unless the global governing body provides transparent answers regarding the controversial Folarin Balogun red-card case.
IMAGE: Belgium’s football federation said they will not support Gianni Infantino’s bid for another term as FIFA president. Photograph: Kacper Pempel/Reuters
Key Points
The Belgian football federation (RBFA) will not back Gianni Infantino’s re-election as FIFA president without satisfactory answers on key issues.
Belgium is seeking explanations for FIFA’s decision to suspend Folarin Balogun’s automatic red-card ban, which allowed him to play against them.
The RBFA has raised concerns about the transparency and justification of decisions related to FIFA Forward Enterprise.
The federation has requested the Balogun case be added to the agenda for the next FIFA Council meeting on October 15.
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 red-card case at the World Cup and other governance concerns, the country’s football federation (RBFA) said on Monday.
Concerns Over Balogun Red-Card Decision
Belgium has sought explanations over the disciplinary process involving Balogun, whose automatic red-card ban was suspended by FIFA, allowing the USA striker to face Belgium in their World Cup last-16 clash after US President Donald Trump personally urged Infantino to review the case.
The RBFA said football’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.
Broader Governance and Transparency Issues
The federation has asked FIFA to place the Balogun case on the agenda for the next FIFA Council meeting on October 15.
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.”
Call For Clarity And Future Improvements
“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 football’s governing body UEFA over both issues and would continue pushing for greater transparency in FIFA decision-making.