New football scandal erupts: Infantino linked to Trump support

Peace Award as a reason for complaint

The key episode behind the appeal is the presentation of FIFA's first Peace Award to Donald Trump. The ceremony took place in Washington, at the Kennedy Center, just before the 2026 World Cup draw.

At the ceremony, Infantino also publicly thanked the then US president for helping "to end wars and save lives."

FairSquare states that this act is "a clear breach of FIFA's duty of neutrality," as such an award was given to a sitting political leader.

Four rule violations

Human rights advocates emphasize that awarding the Peace Award to Donald Trump is not the only case that raised concerns about FIFA's political neutrality. FairSquare identified four clear violations of neutrality rules by federation president Gianni Infantino.

The first violation, they say, was the award given to Trump during the 2026 World Cup draw. According to the advocates, this served as a direct example of the FIFA president breaking the organization's political neutrality principles.

The second violation concerns Infantino's positive social media posts, where he repeatedly expressed support for Donald Trump's political actions.

In particular, the FIFA president stated that Trump "definitely deserves" the Nobel Peace Prize, which, according to FairSquare, is a direct expression of political bias.

The third violation, according to the organization, consists of Infantino's interview comments in which he referenced Trump and his policies. These statements, they argue, also demonstrate support for a specific political leader, which contradicts FIFA's ethical standards.

The fourth violation relates to a January video posted by Infantino on Instagram. In it, according to FairSquare, he expressed support for Trump's political program.

It was after this video that Infantino received an invitation to the US president's inauguration, which, according to the organization, confirms the breach of neutrality principles.

FairSquare stresses that these four incidents demonstrate a systemic problem in FIFA leadership's approach to political neutrality and require a thorough investigation.

What human rights advocates say

FairSquare emphasizes that the FIFA president has no authority to single-handedly determine "the organisation's mission, strategic direction, policies and values."

"This complaint is about a lot more than Infantino's support for President Donald Trump's political agenda," FairSquare program director Nicholas McGeehan told BBC Sport.

"More broadly, this is about how FIFA's absurd governance structure has allowed Gianni Infantino to openly flout the organisation's rules and act in ways that are both dangerous and directly contrary to the interests of the world's most popular sport," he added.

FairSquare's lawyers appealed to the international federation because Infantino's actions may undermine the political neutrality FIFA is obligated to maintain.

Possible consequences and FIFA's position

FIFA's code of ethics allows for suspension from any football activity for up to two years for violating neutrality rules. However, it is currently unknown whether the federation will react to the complaint at all.

The FIFA ethics committee declined to comment on whether they had received the official complaint or what actions they would take if its submission is confirmed.

As a reminder, Gianni Infantino has been heading FIFA since February 2016. The Peace Award, first announced on November 5, was created to honor individuals who have made exceptional contributions to peace and unity among people.

Earlier, we reported how UEFA may suspend Israel's national team from tournaments.