Belgian FA withdraws support for Gianni Infantino over FIFA transparency concerns

The Belgian Football Association says it will not support Gianni Infantino’s bid for another term as FIFA president, citing serious concerns over transparency, governance and the handling of Folarin Balogun’s suspension.

The association announced its decision on Monday, shortly after Infantino confirmed that he intends to stand for re-election next year. A further term would keep the 55-year-old in office until 2031.

Belgium’s football authorities said FIFA had failed to provide sufficient clarity over both its advanced projects initiative and its decision to delay the mandatory one-match suspension given to Balogun after he was sent off against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

A statement from the Belgian FA said several important decisions and assessments in the matter had still not been supported by adequate reasoning, raising questions about the transparency and governance of the process.

“We are in close contact with UEFA and are working together to obtain clear answers about the decision-making process and the next steps,” the association said.

The dispute comes as Infantino faces growing opposition over a proposal to sell commercial stakes in the World Cup to private investment companies for $4.2bn. The plan was withdrawn on 1 August, only a few days after it was revealed, following fierce criticism from across the sporting world.

Despite that backlash, Infantino announced on Sunday that he planned to seek another mandate in next year’s FIFA presidential election.

UEFA has led calls for Infantino to resign, saying it has lost confidence in his leadership. European football’s governing body had also previously threatened to boycott FIFA competitions, including the World Cup.

An increasing number of FIFA member associations, including The Football Association, have withdrawn their support for Infantino’s re-election.

The Belgian FA’s concerns over Balogun centre on FIFA’s decision to postpone his automatic one-match suspension. The forward had been shown a red card for an intervention during the match against Bosnia and Herzegovina, but was then allowed to play against Belgium in a decisive game for qualification for the World Cup quarter-finals.

The controversy began after United States president Donald Trump contacted Infantino, after which FIFA delayed the suspension.

Belgium’s association said FIFA had not offered a satisfactory explanation for its intervention or clarified how similar disciplinary cases would be dealt with in future.

Pascale Van Dam, president of the Belgian FA, said: “Two months after the events, we note that our questions still remain unanswered.”

She added: “Given the importance of transparency and clarity for all parties involved, we request the necessary explanations and, at the same time, want to explore ways to improve the current procedures, so that similar cases can be handled in a clear, consistent and effective manner in the future.”

The Belgian FA has asked FIFA to formally include the Balogun case on the agenda for the next meeting of the FIFA Council, which is scheduled for 15 October.