Belgian FA won't back Infantino over Balogun ban — SkimNews
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- The Royal Belgian Football Association said it still wants answers from FIFA about why Folarin Balogun was cleared to play against Belgium at the World Cup and has requested the case be placed on the FIFA Council's 15 October meeting agenda.
- Balogun's red card was only the second in World Cup history — after Garrincha in 1962 — to not serve a suspension, prompting criticism after FIFA cited "article 27 of the FIFA disciplinary code" without a fuller explanation.
- The ruling became more controversial after it emerged that US President Donald Trump and White House officials had lobbied FIFA ahead of the decision, which also drew questions from UEFA.
- RBFA president Pascale van Damme said "two months after the events, our questions remain unanswered" and called for "transparency in decision-making, strong governance and clear processes."
- The RBFA announced it will not support Gianni Infantino's bid for re-election in March, joining a growing list of football bodies opposing the Swiss incumbent who has led FIFA since 2016.
- The RBFA cited two reasons for withdrawing support from Infantino: the unexplained Balogun case and the now-abandoned FIFA Forward Enterprise plan to sell stakes in FIFA competitions to private investment firms.
Why it matters: With Infantino seeking re-election in March, the RBFA joins a growing list of football bodies refusing to back him, narrowing his support base ahead of the vote. The Belgian FA cited both the Balogun case and the abandoned FIFA Forward Enterprise plan, framing a governance credibility challenge that UEFA has already amplified.
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