Фоларин Балогуны улаан хуудасны маргаан болон ФИФА-гийн санхүүгийн төлөвлөгөө нь уг шийдвэрт гол нөлөө үзүүлжээ.
Бельгийн хөлбөмбөгийн холбоо (RBFA) даваа гарагт гаргасан мэдэгдэлдээ ФИФА-гийн ерөнхийлөгч Жанни Инфантиныг гурав дахь удаагаа сонгогдохыг дэмжихгүй гэдгээ албан ёсоор зарлав. Үүнд 2026 оны ДАШТ-ий үеэр Америкийн тоглогч Фоларин Балогуны улаан хуудасны шийтгэлийг цуцалсан явдал болон бүтэлгүйтсэн “FIFA Forward Enterprise” төсөл гол шалтгаан болжээ. Бельгийн тал ФИФА-г эдгээр асуудлаар ил тод бус байдал гаргаж, хангалттай хариулт өгөөгүй хэмээн буруутгав.
Балогун Босни ба Херцеговины эсрэг тоглолтод шууд улаан хуудас авсан ч АНУ-ын ерөнхийлөгч Дональд Трамп болон бусад албаны хүмүүсийн хөндлөнгийн оролцоотойгоор Бельгийн эсрэг шөвгийн 16-гийн тоглолтод оролцсон юм. Бельгийн хөлбөмбөгийн холбоо энэхүү шийдвэрийг эсэргүүцэж, ФИФА-гийн давж заалдах шатны хороонд гомдол гаргасан ч хэрэгсэхгүй болгосон байна. Тус тоглолтод Бельги 4-1-ийн харьцаатай ялалт байгуулж, тэмцээнээс хассан ч уг асуудлыг үргэлжлүүлэн хэлэлцүүлэхээр төлөвлөж байгаагаа мэдэгджээ.
RBFA-гийн ерөнхийлөгч Паскаль Ван Дамме ФИФА-гаас шийдвэрийн үндэслэлийг тодорхой тайлбарлахыг шаардаж, уг асуудлыг аравдугаар сард болох ФИФА-гийн зөвлөлийн хурлын хэлэлцэх асуудлын жагсаалтад оруулахыг хүсэв. Одоогоор УЕФА тэргүүтэй Европын хэд хэдэн холбоо Жанни Инфантиныг огцрохыг шаардаж байгаа бол Африк, Ази болон бусад бүс нутгийн зарим улсууд түүнийг дэмжихээ илэрхийлээд байна. Ирэх гуравдугаар сард болох ФИФА-гийн ерөнхийлөгчийн сонгуулийн өмнө гишүүн холбоодын байр суурь ийнхүү хоёр хуваагдаад байна.
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The Belgian Football Association (RBFA) has cited the Folarin Balogun case as one of the key reasons why it will not be supporting Gianni Infantino’s bid to be re-elected FIFA president.
The RBFA released a statement on Monday explaining it would not be supporting Infantino’s re-election for a third term as president due to the failed FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) project and the suspension of U.S men’s national team striker Balogun’s red card ban at the 2026 World Cup.
The RBFA accused FIFA of not yet providing it with a “satisfactory response” to questions regarding the decision, taken two months ago, to enable Balogun to play against Belgium in the last-16 of the World Cup despite his sending-off against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the previous round.
The Belgians accused FIFA of showing “no transparency” in relation to the Balogun case and FFE — referencing FIFA’s scrapped plan to sell stakes in its competitions, including the World Cup, to private investors.
“In the ongoing case concerning Folarin Balogun’s red card at the World Cup, in which the RBFA is directly involved, important questions remain unanswered in our view,” the RBFA statement read. “Despite our explicit requests for (1) a clear justification of the decisions taken and (2) details on how such situations will be handled in the future, we have not yet received any satisfactory response on this matter.”
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The RBFA has also asked FIFA to add the Balogun case to the agenda for October’s FIFA Council meeting.
“My team at the RBFA communicated with FIFA in a composed and constructive manner, both during and after the World Cup, in order to obtain clarity in the Balogun case,” RBFA president Pascale Van Damme added. “Two months after the events, we note that our questions remain unanswered to date.”
FIFA has been approached byThe Athleticfor comment.
Balogun, 25, was shown a straight red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina but was made available to face Belgium following an intervention involving U.S. President Donald Trump, government officials, U.S. Soccer and an extensive legal team.
Belgium formally challenged FIFA’s decision to suspend the player’s ban, but this was dismissed by FIFA’s appeal committee. Belgium won the game 4-1 to eliminate the co-hosts, with Belgium players celebrating by performing a Trump-style dance in the locker room, but said after their victory that they intended to continue to pursue their concerns with FIFA over the Balogun decision.
Infantino has faced criticism over the FFE plan (Carl Recine/Getty Images)
The RBFA is the latest European federation to confirm it will not be supporting Infantino ahead of March’s election. UEFA — European football’s governing body, of which Belgium is a member — has made clear it wants the FIFA president to resign following the failed FFE plan, and has lodged several legal filings across the United States in an attempt to force him out.
FIFA reiterated on Sunday that Infantino will stand for a third term, with the continental federations divided over their support for him.
Concacaf, the confederation of North, Central America and the Caribbean, and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) have joined UEFA in calling for Infantino’s resignation, but respective member states including Mexico and Qatar have pledged their support for the 56-year-old.
Infantino also maintains the support of the Confederation Africaine de Football (CAF). CONMEBOL, the confederation for South and Central America, criticised the FFE plans but called for “unity” ahead of March’s elections.
