Belgium FA Withdraws Support for Infantino’s FIFA Re-Election Bid
The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) has withdrawn its support for Gianni Infantino’s bid to secure another term as FIFA president, citing concerns over transparency and governance within world football’s governing body.
Belgium becomes the latest national association to distance itself from Infantino, joining England and Italy ahead of the FIFA presidential election scheduled for March 2027.
FIFA confirmed on Sunday that Infantino would seek another term. He remains the only candidate to have formally declared his intention to contest the election.
The Belgian FA said it was seeking clearer explanations about FIFA’s decision-making process, particularly following Infantino’s abandoned proposal to introduce private investment into the World Cup.
The RBFA also demanded “complete transparency and clear explanations” over FIFA’s decision to lift the suspension of United States forward Folarin Balogun during the recent World Cup.
Balogun had received a red card during the United States’ last-32 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina, which ordinarily would have ruled him out of the team’s subsequent match against Belgium.
However, FIFA intervened to overturn the suspension, triggering criticism after reports emerged that US President Donald Trump had contacted Infantino about the matter.
“Two months after the events, we note that our questions remain unanswered to date,” RBFA president Pascale Van Damme said.
The Belgian FA has formally asked FIFA to include the Balogun case on the agenda of the next FIFA Council meeting, scheduled for October 15.
Infantino has faced growing criticism from several member associations in recent weeks over his leadership and decision-making at FIFA.
The opposition intensified after concerns were raised about plans for a new commercial structure involving private investors, with critics arguing that the proposal was advanced without adequate consultation.
Although Infantino subsequently shelved the plan amid mounting resistance, the decision has done little to ease concerns among some national football associations over transparency and governance at FIFA.
