Read 3 minutesUpdated: 15 July 2026 09:22 AM IST
FIFA President Gianni Infantino is facing a complaint over alleged political neutrality violations, with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) asking to investigate his ties to US President Donald Trump, including his role in the controversial red-card decision at the World Cup. Reuters Reported.
The complaint has been filed by the lawyer group FairsquareInfantino has claimed to have violated IOC rules on several occasions. It is likely involved in the examples cited Revoking US striker Folarin Balogun’s one-match banHe was allowed to play in the Round of 16 against Belgium on 6 July.
Infantino has admitted receiving Trump’s callwho publicly pushed for Balogun to be allowed to play. However, the FIFA president has insisted that he did not interfere in the disciplinary process.
Balogun was sent off in the 64th minute of the USA’s Round of 32 match against Bosnia and Herzegovina for a challenge on Tarik Muharemovic. The US won 2-0 with 10 men, but Balogun was automatically suspended for the next game.
FIFA later issued a brief statement on its website on July 5, citing Article 27 of its disciplinary code to suspend the ban for a one-year probationary period, without further explanation.
On the day of the Belgium match, Trump defended his intervention. “I only asked for a review because I didn’t think it was wrong,” Trump said. “I think they made a really brilliant decision. I think the referee’s call was terrible and nobody talks about it.”
Infantino said in a statement on FIFA’s website that the governing body’s judicial committees work independently. “Their independence is essential to the credibility and integrity of football and must be respected at all times,” the statement said.
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Fairsquare argued in its complaint that Infantino, who became an IOC member in 2020, is bound by strict neutrality rules under the Olympic Charter and the IOC Code of Ethics. The group has pointed to five specific incidents of alleged violations, including an announcement of Trump’s October 2025 Nobel Prize nomination and pro-Trump social media posts following his inauguration.
The complaint highlights Infantino’s promotion of a FIFA fan site for the 2026 World Cup, which Fairsquare claims “appears to be part of a data-harvesting campaign run by entities associated with President Trump.” In addition, Infantino presented Trump with the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize at the World Cup draw in December.
A separate complaint to FIFA’s ethics committee, filed by Fairsquare in December, has received support from the Norwegian Football Association and 50 members of the European Parliament. Reuters.