IOC has received a complaint regarding FIFA President Infantino’s interactions with Trump during the World Cup
FairSquare has accused Infantino of breaching political neutrality regulations due to his connections with Trump and the contentious suspension of Balogun’s ban.
A formal complaint has been lodged with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), alleging that FIFA president Gianni Infantino has violated regulations regarding political neutrality in his interactions with United States President Donald Trump.
The complaint, submitted by the human rights nonprofit FairSquare, claims that Infantino has breached the Olympic Charter and the IOC’s code of ethics on several occasions since his induction as an IOC member in 2020. This includes his management of the contentious Folarin Balogun disciplinary case during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The case focused on the suspension of Balogun’s one-match ban by FIFA’s disciplinary committee, which permitted the United States striker to participate in the team’s Round of 16 triumph against Belgium. The decision followed a phone call between Trump and Infantino, although the FIFA president has maintained that the organization’s judicial bodies function independently.
FairSquare asserts that Infantino has consistently demonstrated political backing for Trump and contends there is “prima facie” evidence suggesting that political pressure could have impacted FIFA’s disciplinary procedures.
The organization also claims that Infantino endorsed a FIFA World Cup fan platform associated with a data-harvesting initiative involving entities linked to Trump.
The complaint comes in light of reports indicating that European lawmakers are pursuing support for an inquiry into Infantino’s behavior within the European Parliament.
FairSquare previously submitted a similar complaint to FIFA’s ethics committee in December but reported that it has not received any further response beyond the acknowledgment of receipt of the complaint.
The Norwegian Football Federation, along with 50 members of the European Parliament, has called on FIFA’s ethics committee to look into the allegations.
FIFA and the IOC have not yet made any public statements regarding the complaint.
