BRUSSELS (AP) — The Belgian soccer federation says it can't support Gianni Infantino's bid for another term as FIFA president, citing transparency and governance issues and the way it handled clearing Folarin Balogun from a mandatory one-game ban at the World Cup.
As the head of world soccer’s governing body, Infantino has faced increasing pressure after his controversial plan to sell stakes in the World Cup was met with a furious backlash. But FIFA said Sunday he plans to stand again in next year’s elections for a final term in office through 2031.
The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) said in a statement on Monday its decision not to support Infantino is related to the way FIFA has “shown no transparency” in dealing with the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) case and Balogun's red card.
With the FFE, FIFA proposed to sell stakes in the World Cup to private equity for $4.2 billion. FIFA withdrew the proposal on Aug. 1, just days after it was made public, following intense pushback.
“The RBFA notes that, in this matter, a number of important decisions and assessments have, to date, not been sufficiently substantiated by adequate justifications,” the Belgian federation said. “This raises questions regarding the transparency and governance of this process. We remain in close contact with UEFA and, together, we are seeking clear answers regarding the decision-making process and the next steps.”
UEFA, European soccer’s governing body, has led the calls for Infantino to go, saying it had lost confidence in him and previously threatened to boycott FIFA tournaments, including the World Cup. A number of national associations, such the English FA, have withdrawn support for Infantino’s reelection.
In the Balogun case, the Belgian FA said FIFA has failed to provide satisfactory explanations about the decision and how similar cases will be handled.
After U.S. President Donald Trump called FIFA president Gianni Infantino, a one-game ban for Balogun’s red-card tackle against Bosnia-Herzegovina was deferred so he could play against Belgium with a quarterfinals place at stake. Belgium beat the U.S. 4-1 after a chaotic 36 hours at the World Cup. The Belgium players were seemingly fired up by one of the all-time controversies in the tournament's history.
“Two months after the events, we note that our questions remain unanswered to date,” said Pascale Van Damme, the president of the RBFA. “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 Belgian federation has asked FIFA to include the Balogun case on the agenda for the next meeting of the FIFA Council, set to take place on Oct. 15.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and AP World Cup coverage
FIFA President Gianni Infantino attends the opening game of the Women's U20 World Cup opening match between Poland and Argentina in Katowice, Poland, Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Beata Zawrzel)
KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — Nepal held a day of mourning Monday to remember those killed in the Aug. 26 floods, with flags lowered at government offices and families concluding mourning rituals.
Monday was the 13th day since the flooding which killed more than 1,300 people in Nepal and Tibet and left some 5,000 missing, including foreigners, according to Nepal’s disaster management agency.
In predominantly Hindu Nepal, mourning periods last 13 days, during which close family members stay home and relatives visit to pay their respects. Rituals are held on the final day to pray for the souls of the departed.
Several people whose relatives remain missing performed symbolic funerals. Cremation is an important final rite in Hindu tradition, and performing the ceremony even without the bodies of their loved ones provides some families a sense of spiritual release.
The government had declared Monday an official day of mourning and ordered flags at government offices lowered to half-staff.
Meanwhile, search efforts continued for the missing, but some protested that not enough was being done.
In Kathmandu, relatives gathered near the offices of the prime minister and key ministries to demand the government speed up search and rescue efforts for hundreds of people who had been working at hydropower plants and were either swept by the rushing Bhotekhoshi River or buried under debris.
Sumana Shrestha stood with her family members holding a poster with the photo of her 55-year-old husband, who has not been heard from since the day of the flood.
Her husband, a consulting geologist, had promised to return home after his shift at the project office for the Trishuli hydropower plant on the day of the flood. The 2 1/2-story office was completely buried by debris.
“We are here because we have not heard of any rescue attempt on this project, but it has been 13 days already,” she said. "The only thing we have been able to do is pray to God and hope for a miracle."
Another protester, Mahesh Prasad Shrestha, held a photograph of his brother Niraj Shrestha, a 52-year-old engineer who worked at the same site. He said authorities only sent a small excavator by helicopter on the sixth or seventh day after the disaster, adding: “They should have ordered big helicopters from places like China or India to fly in equipment.”
Rescue efforts have focused on 12 hydropower projects, where about 900 workers are missing and roughly 500 are believed to be trapped in various tunnels, authorities said. Specialized rescue teams from India, China, South Korea and the United States have been searching through debris, damaged structures and tunnels at the projects.
Two Nepalese workers were rescued from the plant Friday, and rescuers pulled out a Chinese man from the facility on Saturday.
Relatives of recent flash flood victims hold banners urging authorities to step up efforts to find their missing loved ones during a demonstration in Kathmandu, Nepal, Monday, Sept. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin)
Relatives of recent flash flood victims hold banners urging authorities to step up efforts to find their missing loved ones during a demonstration in Kathmandu, Nepal, Monday, Sept. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin)
Buddhist monks offer prayers for the departed soul of the victims of flash flood on the bank of Trishuli river in Devighat, Nuwakot district, Nepal, Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)
