The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) has renewed its call for FIFA to explain why Folarin Balogun was permitted to feature for the United States against Belgium at the World Cup, insisting the matter be placed on the agenda for the governing body's next council meeting.
The episode remains one of the tournament's most contentious flashpoints. Balogun, who had scored three goals for the co-host nation earlier in the competition, received a straight red card in a previous fixture that should have ruled him out of the last-16 clash with Belgium. Instead, FIFA suspended the automatic one-match ban for a year, clearing the striker to start against the Red Devils. Belgium went on to win that match 4-1 before falling to Spain in the quarter-finals.
The ruling drew sharp criticism from multiple quarters, intensified by revelations that U.S. President Donald Trump and members of the White House had lobbied FIFA over the decision. UEFA also voiced concerns at the time, questioning the legitimacy of the process.
Two months on, Belgium says its concerns have gone unaddressed. In a statement released Monday, the RBFA confirmed it wants the issue formally discussed at FIFA's council meeting scheduled for October 15, and announced it will withhold support for Gianni Infantino's bid to remain FIFA president.
RBFA president Pascale van Damme said: "Two months after the events, our questions remain unanswered. 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."
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."
Balogun's dismissal marked only the 189th red card in World Cup history, but it stood out as merely the second instance—after Brazil's Garrincha in 1962—where the suspension attached to the card was not actually served. FIFA has offered little in the way of public justification beyond referencing Article 27 of its disciplinary code, which grants the organization discretion to fully or partially suspend disciplinary measures. Notably, no other player suspension was overturned during the entire 2026 World Cup, making the Balogun case an outlier that has fueled suspicion of external influence.
The controversy comes at a delicate moment for Infantino, who has led FIFA since 2016 and confirmed this week that he intends to seek another term in office at elections scheduled for March. He is already facing scrutiny following the collapse of a proposed initiative—dubbed the FIFA Forward Enterprise—that would have seen stakes in FIFA competitions, including the World Cup itself, sold to private investment groups.
Belgium now joins a growing number of national federations withdrawing backing for Infantino's re-election. The RBFA cited two specific grievances: the handling of the Balogun suspension and the now-scrapped plan to sell commercial stakes in FIFA's flagship tournaments. With mounting pressure from multiple federations and continued silence from FIFA on the Balogun matter, the organization now faces increased scrutiny over both its governance practices and its president's future.
Based on reporting from BBC Sport Football.