The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) announced on September 7, 2026, it will withhold support for Gianni Infantino’s re-election as FIFA president until FIFA provides satisfactory explanations about the handling of US striker Folarin Balogun’s red-card suspension and related governance concerns [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].
Balogun received a straight red card during a prior match at the 2026 World Cup, marking the 189th red card in tournament history and only the second time a World Cup red-card suspension was lifted, the first being Garrincha in 1962 [2]. Despite this, FIFA suspended the automatic one-match ban on Balogun, allowing him to play against Belgium in the tournament’s last-16 stage [1, 2, 5]. The decision was highly unusual and drew controversy after former US President Donald Trump personally urged FIFA president Infantino to review the case [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].
The RBFA has said FIFA has not provided adequate or clear justification for suspending Balogun’s ban. It also raised questions about how comparable disciplinary cases will be treated in the future [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. RBFA president Pascale Van Damme said the federation “communicated calmly and constructively with FIFA, during and after the World Cup, to obtain clarification in the Balogun case,” but “two months after the events, our questions remain unanswered” [1, 5]. Van Damme emphasized the federation’s commitment to governance stating, "Together with UEFA, the other confederations and the national associations, we remain committed to transparency in decision-making, strong governance and clear processes" [2].
Beyond the Balogun incident, the RBFA also expressed concerns about FIFA governance, including transparency issues involving the FIFA Forward Enterprise project and decisions regarding commercial rights sales [1, 3, 4, 5].
Belgium has requested that the Balogun red-card case be placed on the agenda for the next FIFA Council meeting scheduled for October 15, 2026, seeking formal discussion and resolution [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].
