Infantino loses Belgium's trust, plans Council confrontation.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino lost the support of the Belgian football association RBFA for his re‑election in March 2027 on Monday, while also planning to put the controversial Balogun case on the agenda of the FIFA Council meeting on 15 October. The move follows an unresolved scandal over the lifting of a ban on US striker Folarin Balogun, who has received no further support from Europe.
The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) announced on Monday that it is withdrawing its support for Infantino in the upcoming election. “Two months after the incidents we note that our questions have remained unanswered to date,” RBFA president Pascale Van Damme quoted in her statement.
RBFA president Pascale Van Damme, who is also a member of the FIFA Council, wants to put the “Balogun case” on the agenda of the Council meeting on 15 October. “We ask FIFA to place the Balogun case on the agenda of the next meeting,” Van Damme emphasized.
Balogun case and possible Trump interference
The core of the dispute lies in the rescinding of a red card against US striker Folarin Balogun before the knockout match against Belgium, after US President Donald Trump allegedly called Infantino personally. A confirmed phone call between Trump and Infantino is to be examined by the FIFA Ethics Committee.
At the end of July, Norwegian association president Lise Klaveness had already announced a formal complaint against FIFA in this context, further intensifying international criticism.
UEFA calls for resignation and examines alternative candidates
UEFA is demanding Infantino’s withdrawal and is preparing a criminal complaint in Switzerland, because he had pushed the controversial “FIFA Forward Enterprise” plan to sell stakes in FIFA tournaments to private investors, some of whom are linked to Trump’s circle. If UEFA does not persuade him to resign, it plans to put Canadian Victor Montagliani into the race as an alternative candidate.
DFB president Bernd Neuendorf also sits on the FIFA Council for UEFA, underscoring the significance of the Belgian move for European football governance.
Infantino, the 56‑year‑old Swiss, announced that, despite the loss of confidence, he will run again for the presidency in March 2027. His earlier “plan” to commercialise FIFA tournaments has already been discarded, and he now has to contend with accusations of a lack of transparency and governance deficits. A reference from SID was mentioned in the report.