Belgium withdraws support for Infantino after Balogun scandal

The Belgian football federation has confirmed they will not support Gianni Infantino’s bid for another term as FIFA president. 

The football governing body are unhappy over FIFA’s handling of Folarin Balogun’s red card at the 2026 World Cup.

They also have concerns over transparency regarding the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) initiative. 

In a statement released on Monday, the Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) said: “The RBFA notes that, in this matter, a number of important decisions and assessments have, to date, not been sufficiently substantiated by adequate justifications.

“This raises questions regarding the transparency and governance of this process.” 

Balogun was suspended for the United States’ last-6 World Cup match following a red card against Bosnia 7 Herzegovina in the previous round. 

After US president Donald Trump called Infantino, the 25-year-old’s suspension was deferred. Balogun started the game, but Belgium claimed a 4-1 victory. 

Infantino also sent shockwaves across the sport after it emerged that he proposed to sell stakes in FIFA tournaments to private investors. 

The Swiss administrator planned to create a new entity, FFE, to manage the commercial and operational rights of the competitions. 

Infantino was eventually forced to ditch the idea after UEFA, CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) all strongly opposed his proposal. 

The 56-year-old has since faced mounting pressure to step down. However, he has recently reiterated his desire to stand for re-election next year.

If Infantino is re-elected, he will serve until 2031.