Fifa Accused of Breaking Rules Over Trump Award
FIFA President Gianni Infantino is facing calls for an ethics investigation over claims he violated the organization’s political neutrality rules in relation to United States President Donald Trump.
The controversy stems from Infantino’s decision to award Trump with the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize during the 2026 World Cup draw in Washington D.C. last week. This act, coupled with supportive social media posts and interviews, has drawn criticism from human rights groups.
FairSquare, a human rights campaign organization, has formally lodged a complaint with FIFA’s ethics committee, alleging four breaches of the governing body’s neutrality regulations. BBC Sport has seen a copy of the letter.
“The award of a prize of this nature to a sitting political leader is in and of itself a clear breach of FIFA’s duty of neutrality,” the complaint states. “The Fifa president does not have the authority to unilaterally dictate the organisation’s mission, strategic direction, policies and values.”
During the ceremony at the Kennedy Centre, Infantino presented Trump with a large golden trophy, a medal, and a certificate. He reportedly told the former President, “This is what we want from a leader” and added, “you can always count, Mr President, on my support.”
Infantino’s support for Trump extends beyond the award ceremony. In October, he posted on Instagram suggesting Trump “definitely deserves” the Nobel Peace Prize. Furthermore, during a November interview at the American Business Forum in Miami, he stated, “We should all support what [Trump] is doing [in the US] because I think it’s looking pretty good.”
FairSquare also points to an Instagram video posted in January, following an invitation to Trump’s inauguration, as evidence of Infantino’s support for the former President’s political agenda.
“This complaint is about a lot more than Infantino’s support for President Donald Trump’s political agenda,” explained Nicholas McGeehan, FairSquare’s programme director. “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.”
BBC Sport has reached out to FIFA for comment on the allegations. The 2026 World Cup is scheduled to take place in the US, Canada and Mexico from June 11th to July 19th.
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