Gianni Infantino has met with the newly-elected President of the Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) to offer his congratulations on his recent election, and discuss a wide-range of football development matters. The meeting, which took place at FIFA’s office in Paris, provided the first opportunity for President Infantino to congratulate, in person, President Paul Van den Bulck after he was unanimously elected by the RBFA board of directors to serve a two-year term in June 2022. Among the topics of discussion with the RBFA head was the upcoming inauguration of the Tubize Centre – a development centre project supported by funds from the FIFA Forward programme.

Mr Van den Bulck said of the project: “It’s a beautiful and real centre, but it is symbolic in the sense that it sums up very well the development that the Belgian [Football] Federation has experienced, which is developing good management [and] a united football family (who are the athletes and the administrative staff). Everyone is in the same house, everyone is part of the same family. “We are obviously very happy with FIFA’s contribution. It’s the same for every project: every stream needs to come together to make a river. So we are very, very happy.” Presidents Infantino and Van den Bulck also discussed the functionality of the Paris office, which opened in June 2021 – and its role in ensuring global football development funds are dispersed and invested effectively across all 211 member associations.