Overview
- The Royal Belgian Football Association said on Monday it will not support Gianni Infantino’s re-election because FIFA has not given satisfactory explanations for the handling of Folarin Balogun’s suspended World Cup ban and for decisions around the FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal.
- FIFA confirmed Infantino plans to stand for a fourth term in March 2027, with the formal nomination deadline for challengers set for November 18 and the Congress scheduled to choose a president in Rabat on March 18, 2027.
- The Balogun dispute centers on FIFA’s temporary suspension of a one‑match red‑card ban after a phone call from President Donald Trump allowed the U.S. striker to play Belgium; the RBFA has asked FIFA to place the case on the FIFA Council agenda for October 15.
- The now‑withdrawn FIFA Forward Enterprise proposed selling about 20% of World Cup commercial rights for roughly $4.2 billion, a plan critics say lacked transparent justification and that triggered legal preservation steps and wide defections among UEFA‑aligned associations.
- The membership is split across confederations, legal and disclosure battles are likely to follow, and the November nomination deadline will be pivotal in determining whether opposition groups can coalesce behind a credible challenger such as Victor Montagliani.