Fifa chief faces neutrality complaint over support for Trump

A growing debate over politics in global football

FIFA president Gianni Infantino is under renewed scrutiny after the human rights organization FairSquare filed a request for an ethics investigation into his public support for former US president Donald Trump. The challenge concerns whether Infantino crossed FIFA’s long standing requirement that its officials remain politically neutral, a rule designed to keep the governing body from being used for political signaling or international favoritism.

Although FIFA oversees global soccer, its decisions often carry geopolitical weight because the organization manages World Cup hosting rights, negotiates with national governments and controls billions in commercial revenue. For many readers outside the sports world, the controversy matters because it reflects how international institutions can become entangled with political actors even when neutrality is written into their statutes.

Why the complaint was filed

FairSquare, which is based in London and often investigates human rights concerns linked to global sports, said it submitted its complaint on Tuesday. The group argued that Infantino’s actions, including presenting Trump with a newly created FIFA peace prize, appear inconsistent with FIFA’s neutrality rules. According to reporting from The Associated Press, FIFA declined to confirm whether its ethics committee received the complaint, explaining that it does not comment on potential or ongoing cases.

FIFA’s regulations allow for sanctions, including bans of up to two years, when officials are found to have engaged in political endorsements. Some experts told AP that the current ethics bodies, which were appointed during Infantino’s presidency, are viewed by critics as less independent than the panels that removed former president Sepp Blatter a decade ago.

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Public praise and a new award

Infantino has made several public remarks supporting Trump over the past year. In October he wrote on Instagram that Trump “definitely deserves” the Nobel Peace Prize. His comments came as FIFA has been strengthening its relationship with the United States ahead of the 2026 men’s World Cup, which the US will co host with Canada and Mexico. AP reporting notes that FIFA expects the tournament to generate more than $10 billion.

During last week’s World Cup draw in Washington, D.C., political leaders from all three host countries appeared on stage with Infantino shortly after Trump received the first ever FIFA peace award. Following a video presentation about Trump, Infantino told him, “This is what we want from a leader ... you definitely deserve the first FIFA Peace Prize ... and you can always count, Mr. President, on my support.”

Infantino expressed similar sentiments in November at the American Business Forum in Miami, saying, “We should all support what [Trump] is doing [in the U.S.] because I think it’s looking pretty good.”

FairSquare’s concerns and broader implications

FairSquare pointed in its letter to another Instagram post made by Infantino on Trump’s inauguration day where he stated, “Together we will make not only America great again, but also the entire world.” The organization argued that awarding a prize to a sitting political leader is, by definition, incompatible with FIFA’s neutrality requirement.

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The group also questioned how the peace prize was created. FIFA has not publicly explained its process, and according to AP sources familiar with the organization, some officials learned about the award only through media coverage. FairSquare wrote that if the decision was taken without proper authority, it would represent what the group called an “egregious abuse of power.”

FairSquare has a history of challenging FIFA on governance and human rights issues, including concerns related to Saudi Arabia, commercial partnerships with major state backed companies and the operation of Israeli teams in disputed territories.

Political pressure and the future of FIFA governance

The complaint arrives at a moment when international sports organizations face increasing pressure to demonstrate transparency, independence and accountability. FIFA has long insisted that neutrality is essential for preserving trust in global competitions. Whether the ethics committee takes up the case may shape how the organization handles political entanglements in the years ahead.

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