Re-election opposition and governance demands

The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) announced on 7 September 2026 that it will withhold support for Gianni Infantino's bid for a new term as FIFA president. Infantino, who has led world soccer's governing body since 2016, confirmed on 6 September 2026 that he intends to stand for re-election at the vote scheduled for 18 March 2027 in Rabat. The Belgian federation stated that its refusal to endorse the 56-year-old incumbent stems from unresolved governance concerns, a lack of transparency, and unanswered questions about decisions made during the 2026 World Cup. Belgium joins a coalition of European associations that have distanced themselves from Infantino, including England, Scotland, Wales, Norway, Sweden, Italy, and Hungary. RBFA President Pascale Van Damme, who also serves on the FIFA Council alongside German federation chief Bernd Neuendorf, noted that official inquiries sent during and after the tournament remain unaddressed.

“Two months after the events, we note that our questions remain unanswered to date.”

The Folarin Balogun red-card dispute

At the core of the disagreement is FIFA's disciplinary handling of United States forward Folarin Balogun during the 2026 World Cup. Balogun received a straight red card in the knockout round against Bosnia and Herzegovina, which carried an automatic one-match ban. FIFA disciplinary authorities subsequently suspended the sanction, clearing the 25-year-old striker to play against Belgium in the round of 16. The suspension reversal followed direct contact between U.S. President Donald Trump and Infantino, accompanied by submissions from U.S. Soccer and legal representatives. Belgium formally challenged the lifting of the ban, but the FIFA Appeal Committee rejected the submission as inadmissible, prompting the RBFA to allege a regulatory breach over the absence of written justification. Although Belgium eliminated the tournament co-hosts with a 4-1 victory, the federation maintained that the decision compromised international football governance.

“Thank you to FIFA for doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice!”

Commercial rights dispute and European pushback

Beyond tournament disciplinary decisions, the RBFA criticized the governance of the FIFA Forward Enterprise project. Infantino had proposed selling commercial equity stakes in FIFA competitions, including the World Cup, to private equity investors for $4.2 billion. The plan became public in late July 2026 and encountered immediate resistance from European governing body UEFA and national federations, prompting FIFA to abandon the initiative on 1 August 2026. UEFA has since explored filing a legal complaint in Switzerland and considered fielding an alternative presidential candidate, such as CONCACAF President Victor Montagliani. In late July 2026, Norwegian federation president Lise Klaveness also announced a formal complaint to the FIFA ethics committee regarding executive conduct. Van Damme confirmed that the RBFA has formally asked FIFA to place the Balogun case on the agenda for the FIFA Council meeting on 15 October 2026.