The International Olympic Committee received a complaint Tuesday from watchdog group FairSquare alleging that FIFA President Gianni Infantino has ensnared his organization in U.S. politics.“Gianni Infantino has repeatedly breached the IOC’s rules on political neutrality by offering his political support for the President of the United States, Donald Trump,” the complaint reads.The complaint lists five instances in which it says Infantino reneged on his commitment to political neutrality. It argues that Infantino, who also serves as one of the IOC’s 104 active members, is bound by the Olympic Charter’s directive that “sports organisations within the Olympic Movement shall apply neutrality at all times.”
Though the complaint includes alleged violations that stretch back to Trump’s 2025 inauguration, it comes shortly after the U.S. president personally interceded to overturn a red card and a one-game suspension for U.S. soccer star Folarin Balogun.A FIFA referee issued Balogun the red card after he collided with another player during a World Cup match against Bosnia and Herzegovina. FIFA overturned the decision, allowing Balogun to participate in a subsequent match against Belgium that ultimately knocked the U.S. out of the tournament. FIFA said its independent judicial bodies made the ruling, yet Trump himself took credit for initiating the review during a call with Infantino.“If Gianni Infantino intervened in this affair at the behest of the US President, this would not only constitute a further serious breach of IOC rules on political neutrality, it would violate the fundamental principle of fair play,” FairSquare argued.The report also highlighted Washington Examiner reporting that Campaign Nucleus, a data company associated with Trump’s 2020 campaign manager Brad Parscale, obtained emails and phone numbers of spectators who RSVP’d for the World Cup watch party on the National Mall.Trump is the inaugural winner of the FIFA Peace Prize, awarded “to a distinguished individual who exemplifies an unwavering commitment to advancing peace and unity throughout the world through their notable leadership and action”BELGIAN PLAYERS MOCK USA BY MIMICKING THE TRUMP DANCE AFTER BEATING THEM AT WORLD CUPInfantino will stand for reelection in 2027. Though the FIFA president has avoided publicly rebuking the U.S. president, there was widespread concern that Trump would attempt to punish Democrat-led cities by taking away their World Cup matches. Those fears did not pan out.FairSquare says that it filed a complaint directly with FIFA last December. The Washington Examiner reached out to FIFA for comment.
