FIFA Chief Infantino Faces IOC Ethics Complaint Over Trump Lobbying Row

FIFA President Gianni Infantino is facing renewed scrutiny after a leading sports and human rights organisation announced it would file a formal complaint with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), alleging that he breached the principle of political neutrality during the controversy surrounding United States forward Folarin Balogun .

The London-based NGO FairSquare said it would ask the IOC Ethics Commission to investigate Infantino's conduct after U.S. President Donald Trump publicly claimed credit for FIFA's decision to allow Balogun to play against Belgium despite receiving a red card in the United States' previous World Cup match. The decision was described as unprecedented in modern World Cup history and quickly triggered debate over political influence in sporting matters.

Balogun ultimately featured in the match in Seattle, where a fired-up Belgian side defeated the United States 4-1 , adding further attention to the controversy.

The IOC, whose charter identifies political neutrality as one of the fundamental principles of Olympism, has jurisdiction over Infantino because he has been an IOC member since 2020. IOC President Kirsty Coventry said earlier this week that no formal complaint had yet been received, but confirmed that the organisation had been closely monitoring developments and would examine any complaint submitted to its ethics body.

The dispute has also drawn attention to the increasingly close relationship between Infantino and Trump . Since the successful 2026 FIFA World Cup hosting bid by the United States, Canada and Mexico, the FIFA president has frequently appeared alongside Trump and has visited the White House on multiple occasions following Trump's return to office in 2025. Infantino has publicly praised the president's leadership and also created the FIFA Peace Prize , which was awarded to Trump during the World Cup tournament draw in Washington last year.

FairSquare noted that it had already lodged a separate complaint with FIFA's ethics committee in December regarding the same issue of political neutrality. That complaint has reportedly received support from the Norwegian Football Federation and around 50 members of the European Parliament , though FIFA has yet to provide an update on the matter.

As pressure mounts, both FIFA and the IOC are likely to face growing calls to clarify how sporting bodies should respond when political leaders seek to influence decisions that directly affect competition on the field.