The 2026 World Cup semi-finals are supposed to be about football. Instead, the headlines are about FIFA’s president and a formal complaint that just landed on the International Olympic Committee’s desk.
FairSquare, a human rights organization, filed the complaint with the IOC on July 14, 2026, accusing Gianni Infantino of repeatedly breaching political neutrality rules.
What’s in the complaint
The core allegation centers on Infantino’s relationship with former US President Donald Trump. In December 2025, Infantino awarded Trump FIFA’s inaugural Peace Prize, a decision that raised eyebrows across the sporting world and beyond.
Trump allegedly contacted Infantino directly regarding a player suspension being handled by FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee. The implication: a former head of state was attempting to influence an independent judicial process within global football’s governing body.
