An international advocacy group has asked FIFA’s Ethics Committee to investigate its president, Gianni Infantino, over alleged breaches of political neutrality and to examine the process that led to United States President Donald Trump receiving the first FIFA Peace Prize.
The request was filed by FairSquare, an organisation known for its scrutiny of global labour migration issues, governance failures and political repression. In sport, the group campaigns for stronger institutional safeguards to prevent abuse and uphold transparency.
FairSquare’s eight-page submission, reviewed by The Athletic, was delivered to both the Ethics Committee and FIFA’s communications department.
FIFA’s judicial structure assigns the committee responsibility for enforcing the FIFA Code of Ethics. Its investigatory chamber, composed of members drawn from nine countries and chaired by Rwandan diplomat Martin Ngoga, has the authority to initiate proceedings and recommend sanctions. Punishments for violations can range from warnings and fines to bans from football activity.
The complaint outlines four alleged violations by Infantino, all tied to public actions and statements seen as supportive of President Trump.
FairSquare argues these remarks breach article 15 of the FIFA Code of Ethics, which requires political neutrality from all individuals governed by FIFA’s regulations. The group also questions the legitimacy of the Peace Prize’s creation and the decision to present it to a sitting political figure during a major FIFA event.
The first allegation concerns Infantino’s public call for Trump to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.
On the eve of the award announcement, Infantino endorsed Trump’s role in an Israel Gaza ceasefire, a message FairSquare says amounted to support for a contested political position.
Subsequent incidents cited in the complaint include Infantino’s appearance at a Miami business forum, where he praised Trump’s presidency and encouraged support for his agenda, and his comments during the World Cup draw in Washington, where he lauded Trump’s leadership while presenting the Peace Prize.
FairSquare also cites a video from January in which Infantino thanked Trump for inviting him to a political rally and used language associated with Trump’s campaign messaging.
The organisation contends that these actions cannot be viewed as private expressions because Infantino made them while representing FIFA.
The complaint further argues that the creation of the Peace Prize did not follow FIFA’s procedural requirements.
Reporting by The Athletic indicated that neither the FIFA Council nor vice presidents had prior knowledge of the award or its criteria. FairSquare says the decision should have gone through the Council, given its mandate to set FIFA’s strategic direction.
A previous letter from Human Rights Watch to FIFA raised similar concerns, stating the prize lacked transparency because there were no listed nominees, criteria or judges.
The group says FIFA never responded. Trump described receiving the award as one of the greatest honours of his life.
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