FIFA President Gianni Infantino Under Investigation for Breaching Political Neutrality
The FIFA Ethics Committee has been requested to investigate President Gianni Infantino for allegedly violating the organization's rules on political neutrality concerning U.S. President Donald Trump.
Infantino presented Trump with the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize during the 2026 World Cup draw held in Washington, D.C., last week. He has also expressed his support for the 79-year-old through social media posts and interviews.
Human rights advocacy group FairSquare has submitted a complaint letter, which has been reviewed by BBC Sport, claiming that Infantino has committed “four clear breaches” of FIFA's neutrality regulations.
“The award of a prize of this nature to a sitting political leader is, in and of itself, a clear breach of FIFA's duty of neutrality,” the letter asserts.
According to the complaint, the FIFA president does not possess the authority to unilaterally dictate the organization’s mission, strategic direction, policies, and values.
BBC Sport has reached out to FIFA for a comment regarding the allegations.
During the prestigious ceremony at the Kennedy Center, Infantino and Trump were seen standing together as Infantino presented Trump with a large golden trophy, a medal, and a certificate. Infantino remarked, “This is what we want from a leader,” and assured Trump, “You can always count on my support” during a speech following a video presentation.
In October, Infantino took to Instagram to express that Trump “definitely deserves” the Nobel Peace Prize.
In a November interview at the American Business Forum in Miami, Infantino further stated, “We should all support what [Trump] is doing [in the U.S.] because I think it’s looking pretty good.”
FairSquare also pointed to a January video post by Infantino on Instagram, made after his invitation to Trump’s inauguration, as evidence of support for Trump’s political agenda.
Nicholas McGeehan, FairSquare's program director, emphasized, “This complaint extends beyond Infantino’s support for President Donald Trump’s political agenda. More broadly, it highlights how FIFA’s flawed governance structure has allowed Gianni Infantino to openly disregard the organization’s rules and act in ways that are both dangerous and contrary to the interests of the world’s most popular sport.”