Belgium still demands FIFA to investigate the scandalous amnesty of Balogun and blocks...

The Royal Belgian Football Association continues to demand answers regarding one of the most controversial decisions of this summer's World Cup. The Belgians are outraged by the fact that USA striker Folarin Balogun was allowed to play in the round of 16 match against their team, despite receiving a straight red card in the previous match. The KBFA has officially requested that the consideration of this incident be included in the agenda of the next meeting of the FIFA Council, scheduled for October 15. Balogun's one-match suspension was suspended for a year. FIFA justified this extremely unorthodox decision by referring to Article 27 of its disciplinary code, which allows the full or partial suspension of a disciplinary sanction. However, the organization did not provide any detailed explanations. The situation became scandalous after it became known that White House officials and US President Donald Trump personally lobbied for the cancellation of the punishment. The case is unique in modern football: Balogun's red card is the 189th in World Cup history, but only the second (after Brazil's Garrinci was sent off in 1962) that did not result in an actual suspension. Having avoided punishment, the forward started in the round of 16 match, in which Belgium defeated the USA with a score of 4:1. In its official statement, the association emphasized that it had previously asked FIFA to provide a clear rationale for the decisions made, but never received an answer. The president of the association, Pascal van Damme, publicly criticized the actions of the governing body of world football: "Two months after the events, our questions remain unanswered. Given the importance of transparency and clarity for all parties involved, we ask for the necessary explanations and at the same time wish to explore where improvements can be made to current processes so that similar cases are dealt with clearly, consistently and effectively in the future. Together with UEFA and other confederations, we remain committed to transparency in decision-making and strong governance," the statement said. The consequences of the Balogun affair may cost Gianni Infantino the seat of FIFA president. This week, the official confirmed his intention to run for re-election in March, but Belgium became the next country to officially refuse him support. The association stressed that its mistrust was based on two key factors: the opaque lifting of Balogun's suspension and FIFA's controversial plan (which was later abandoned due to intense pressure) to sell stakes in its tournaments, including the World Cup, to private investment funds through FIFA Forward Enterprise.