Belgian FA rejects support for Infantino as Balogun case fuels FIFA dispute

The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) announced on Monday that it will not support Gianni Infantino's bid for a new term as President of the FIFA World Cup, citing concerns related to transparency and governance, particularly regarding FIFA's handling of the case involving American striker Folarin Balogun.

The Belgian decision comes just one day after FIFA confirmed that Infantino will run again in the elections for the presidency of the international federation scheduled for March 2027, seeking a fourth and final term extending until 2031.

The Belgian Football Union has cited Balogun's case as one of the main reasons for its stance on Infantino. The American national team forward was sent off during the match between the United States and Bosnia-Herzegovina in the Round of 32 of the FIFA World Cup 2026, which meant he would face an automatic one-match suspension.

FIFA has decided to suspend the enforcement of the sanction, allowing Balogun to participate with the United States against Belgium in the Round of 16. The decision came after intervention from U.S. President Donald Trump with Infantino, according to reports covering the issue.

Belgium believes FIFA has yet to provide a convincing and clear explanation for the decision, nor has it clarified the criteria that will be adopted in dealing with similar cases in the future.

Belgium's football federation president, Pascal Van Dam, stated that the federation has communicated with FIFA in a calm and constructive manner to seek clarifications, but two months after the incident, the questions raised by the Belgian federation remain unanswered.