Full Breakdown
Massive Public Complaint Targets FIFA President Gianni Infantino Over Ties to Donald Trump
9/9/2026, 5:15:15 AM
Core Complaint and Sign-up Surge
More than 100,000 individuals have added their names to a formal grievance submitted to FIFA’s Ethics Committee, urging an investigation into President Gianni Infantino for alleged breaches of the organization’s code of ethics. The filing, part of the “Reboot FIFA” initiative launched by the advocacy group FairSquare, claims Infantino abused his power, failed to remain politically neutral, and violated loyalty duties in efforts to ingratiate himself with U.S. President Donald Trump.
FairSquare’s Eight Alleged Infractions
FairSquare’s letter enumerates eight incidents, including:
- Trump’s request during the World Cup that Infantino review the red-card dismissal of U.S. forward Folarin Balogun, which was subsequently overturned.
- The creation of a FIFA Peace Prize awarded to Trump without council approval.
- Private-equity negotiations for the abandoned FIFA Forward Enterprise scheme.
The group argues these actions demonstrate a clear breach of political neutrality and calls for a two-year ban on Infantino from football activities.
Institutional Reactions
- The Ethics Committee confirmed receipt of the original complaint on December 12 but has provided no update since.
- UEFA – The European federation has urged Infantino to step down and announced plans to pursue criminal claims in the United States related to the FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal.
- IOC – The International Olympic Committee dismissed a separate FairSquare complaint concerning Infantino’s public support for Trump, stating the matter fell outside its ethics jurisdiction.
- Re-election Plans – FIFA confirmed that Infantino will seek a fourth and final term at the next presidential election, scheduled for next year, despite criticism from UEFA, the Asian confederation and CONCACAF.
Political Context and Governance Concerns
The complaint arrives amid broader scrutiny of FIFA’s governance, with FairSquare asserting that the organization “is incapable of regulating itself.” Critics contend that Infantino’s alleged alignment with a foreign head of state threatens the sport’s global impartiality and may contravene FIFA statutes limiting presidential terms.
Verbatim Quote
“But this complaint is about a lot more than Infantino,” — Nicholas McGeehan, director at FairSquare
