FIFA President Gianni Infantino is under scrutiny after a complaint was filed with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) accusing him of repeatedly breaching political neutrality rules. The complaint, lodged by London-based sports and human rights NGO FairSquare, follows Infantino's decision to allow US striker Folarin Balogun to play against Belgium in the World Cup despite a red card suspension from a previous match. This decision came after a personal plea from US President Donald Trump, who took credit for the unprecedented intervention.

The controversy intensified as Belgium, reportedly motivated by the dispute, defeated the United States 4-1 in Seattle, eliminating the US from the tournament. FairSquare's complaint also calls for an investigation into Infantino's role in introducing the FIFA Peace Prize and awarding it to President Trump, questioning the conformity of these actions with FIFA's procedural rules.

Infantino has maintained close ties with Trump, having been a regular visitor to the White House since attending Trump's second inauguration in January 2025, and previously expressed support for the president's work.

IOC President Kirsty Coventry acknowledged the situation, stating, "Yes, we have been obviously watching everything play out," when asked about interference related to the World Cup co-host nation, which will also host the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Coventry also noted the complaint had not yet been received at the time of her statement.

FairSquare's move escalates tensions surrounding FIFA's ethics processes, with support from 50 members of the European Parliament who have written to FIFA's Ethics Committee backing the complaint. According to Reuters, FIFA's secretariat may initiate preliminary investigations into a potential breach of the FIFA Code of Ethics on instructions from the chairperson of the Investigatory Chamber.

Sources