Belgian federation says it can’t back Infantino

The Belgian football federation says it cannot support Gianni Infantino’s bid for another term as FIFA president, citing transparency and governance concerns and the way the governing body handled the lifting of Folarin Balogun’s mandatory one-match suspension at the World Cup.

As head of world football’s governing body, Infantino has come under increasing pressure after his controversial plan to sell stakes in the World Cup triggered a fierce backlash. FIFA said on Sunday, however, that he intends to stand in next year’s elections for a final term in office through 2031.

The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) said in a statement yesterday that its decision not to support Infantino was linked to the way FIFA had “shown no transparency” in dealing with both the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) case and Balogun’s red card.