100,000 Demand FIFA Probe Infantino's Trump Ties
100,000 Demand FIFA Probe Infantino's Trump Ties
The News
FIFA president Gianni Infantino is the target of a formal ethics complaint signed by more than 100,000 people, accusing him of abusing his power to ingratiate himself with President Donald Trump.
The human rights organisation FairSquare and its "Reboot FIFA" campaign filed the complaint with FIFA's Ethics Committee on Tuesday, according to a letter seen by Reuters.
The letter alleges Infantino, 56, has "at a minimum, abused his power, violated his duty of political neutrality, and violated his duty of loyalty." FairSquare wants him banned from football activities for two years.
What the Complaint Alleges
The complaint lists eight incidents. Among them: that Infantino breached FIFA's political neutrality by publicly endorsing Trump's political slogan and agenda, and that he abused his authority by unilaterally creating the FIFA Peace Prize without FIFA Council approval and awarding it to Trump.
It also focuses on Trump contacting Infantino during the 2026 World Cup to ask him to review U.S. striker Folarin Balogun's red card, which FIFA subsequently suspended, and on Infantino's abandoned plan to sell a stake in FIFA events to private equity investors — the FIFA Forward Enterprise scheme, which FairSquare says was secretly developed with politically connected investors while bypassing FIFA governance processes. That proposal was dropped after a global backlash.
Timeline
Infantino is elected FIFA president following Sepp Blatter's resignation.
Infantino successfully argues that his first spell in charge should not count toward FIFA's three-term limit because it completed an interrupted mandate.
FairSquare submits an initial complaint against Infantino; Norway's football federation publicly backs it. FIFA's Ethics Committee acknowledges receipt on Dec. 12 and, FairSquare says, has provided no update since.
During the World Cup, Trump asks Infantino to review Balogun's red card. FIFA suspends the card, and the Reboot FIFA campaign grows.
The International Olympic Committee rejects a separate FairSquare complaint over Infantino's support for Trump, saying it falls outside the jurisdiction of its Ethics Commission. The World Cup finishes.
The English FA withdraws support for Infantino after a similar move by Wales. UEFA pursues criminal legal action over the failed plan to sell a stake in the World Cup. FairSquare urges FIFA to rule Infantino ineligible for another term.
FairSquare files the follow-up complaint with more than 100,000 signatures.
Reactions
FairSquare director Nicholas McGeehan told Reuters the new allegations are far more serious than the first batch. "We now have this public and political concern and we felt it was time to again put pressure on the FIFA Ethics Committee and really lay down the gauntlet to them," he said. "Are you capable of holding your senior officials to account? That's what we're trying to do with this follow-up."
McGeehan said the case is bigger than one man: "Really, for us, it's about demonstrating to the policymakers who should be scrutinising FIFA's conduct and its governance that the organization is incapable of regulating itself."
The FairSquare letter argued the committee "must not only act, it must be seen to act with appropriate haste, transparency and rigour," calling the 100,000 signatures "clear evidence of mounting public concern."
Reuters said it had contacted FIFA for comment. The Sun reports Infantino continues to receive backing from Argentina's federation and from Trump.
What's Next
Infantino is standing for re-election to a fourth term at the FIFA presidential vote in March, with no credible challenger having emerged so far. The Sun reports the election is set for March 2027 and that a win would keep him in the job until 2031.
FairSquare argues he should not be on the ballot at all, saying he has already served the maximum three terms permitted under FIFA's statutes. Whether FIFA's Ethics Committee opens a formal investigation — or says anything publicly this time — is the immediate question.
More
The Reboot FIFA campaign launched ahead of the 2026 World Cup to highlight what it calls the organisation's failings, and grew through the tournament and the collapse of the Forward Enterprise plan. Infantino has run FIFA for a decade.
Poll
Should FIFA's Ethics Committee open a formal investigation into Infantino's ties to Trump?
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