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The Belgian Football Association has asked FIFA to explain the controversial decision to revoke Folarin Balogun’s World Cup suspension. In reaction to what it sees as a highly unusual ruling, Belgium has also confirmed it will not back Gianni Infantino’s bid for re-election as FIFA president.

Belgium demand FIFA answers

The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) has formally sought answers from FIFA over the contentious call to lift Balogun’s suspension during the World Cup. The United States striker was cleared to play in the last-16 match against Belgium even though he had been shown a straight red card in his previous game.

FIFA decided to suspend his one-match ban for a year, which allowed the forward to start the knockout clash. Although Belgium went on to win 4-1 and knock out the co-hosts, the unusual decision drew heavy criticism from European governing body UEFA and the RBFA. The ruling has also caused major discontent behind the scenes. Belgium has officially asked FIFA for "a clear justification of the decisions taken and details on how such situations will be handled in the future".

Transparency and clear processes

RBFA president Pascale van Damme has strongly criticised the way the matter was handled and voiced frustration at the lack of communication from world football’s governing body. The federation remains intent on pushing for greater clarity.

"Two months after the events, our questions remain unanswered," Van Damme said, 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 chief also underlined the need for strong governance across the game. 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."

A historic World Cup controversy

The move to cancel Balogun's suspension represented a very rare episode in World Cup history. His sending-off was the 189th red card shown at a World Cup, yet he became only the second player ever - after Brazil’s Garrincha in 1962 - to avoid serving the resulting ban. No other suspensions were lifted during the tournament.

The controversy intensified when it emerged that US President Donald Trump and White House officials had directly lobbied FIFA over the striker's punishment. In spite of the public backlash, FIFA referred only to article 27 of its disciplinary code, which allows the governing body to partially or fully suspend the enforcement of a disciplinary sanction.

Balogun, who had scored three goals in the tournament before the incident, started against Belgium but was unable to stop his side from being eliminated. The Red Devils moved on to the quarter-finals, where they were eventually beaten by Spain.

Infantino faces growing opposition

The fallout from the episode is expected to continue, with the RBFA formally requesting that the matter be included on the agenda for the next FIFA Council meeting on 15 October. In addition, the controversy has had a direct effect on the upcoming FIFA presidential election.

Infantino recently confirmed that he will stand for re-election in March, having served as president since 2016. However, Belgium has officially announced that it will not support his bid for another term, pointing to the handling of the Balogun case as a main reason for its opposition.