Belgium FA demands FIFA answers over Folarin Balogun World Cup controversy and withdraws Gianni Infantino support

The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) has demanded official answers from FIFA regarding the controversial decision to lift Balogun’s suspension during the World Cup. The United States forward was allowed to feature in a last-16 tie against Belgium, despite receiving a straight red card in his previous outing.

FIFA chose to suspend his one-game ban for a year, allowing the forward to start the knockout fixture. Although Belgium ultimately secured a 4-1 victory to eliminate the co-hosts, the unorthodox ruling sparked widespread criticism from European governing body UEFA and the RBFA. The decision has triggered significant unrest behind the scenes. Belgium have formally asked FIFA for "a clear justification of the decisions taken and details on how such situations will be handled in the future".

RBFA president Pascale van Damme has been highly critical of the handling of the situation, expressing frustration over the lack of communication from world football's governing body. The federation remains determined to push for greater clarity.

"Two months after the events, our questions remain unanswered," Van Damme stated, as quoted by BBC. "Given the importance of transparency and clarity for all parties involved, we request the necessary explanations and, at the same time, wish to explore where improvements to the current processes are possible, so that similar cases can be handled in a clear, consistent and efficient manner in the future".

The RBFA president also highlighted the necessity for strong governance across the sport. She added: "Together with Uefa, the other confederations and the national associations, we remain committed to transparency in decision-making, strong governance and clear processes. We remain open to constructive cooperation, in the interest of the trust, integrity and future of football."

The decision to overturn Balogun's suspension marked a highly rare moment in tournament history. His dismissal was the 189th red card issued at a World Cup, yet he became only the second player ever—following Brazil’s Garrincha in 1962—to avoid serving a subsequent ban. No other suspensions were lifted during the tournament.

The controversy deepened when it emerged that US President Donald Trump and White House officials had directly lobbied FIFA regarding the forward's punishment. Despite the public outcry, FIFA only cited article 27 of their disciplinary code, which permits the governing body to partially or fully suspend the implementation of a disciplinary measure.

Balogun, who had scored three goals in the tournament prior to the incident, started against Belgium but could not prevent his team's exit. The Red Devils progressed to the quarter-finals, where they eventually lost to Spain.

The fallout from the incident is set to continue, with the RBFA officially requesting that the issue be placed on the agenda for the next FIFA Council meeting on 15 October. Furthermore, the controversy has directly impacted the upcoming FIFA presidential election.

Infantino recently confirmed he will stand for re-election in March, having held the presidency since 2016. However, Belgium have formally announced they will not support his bid for a new term, citing the handling of the Balogun case as a primary reason for their opposition.