IOC receives complaint seeking probe into FIFA chief Gianni Infantino

LAUSANNE: The International Olympic Committee has received a complaint calling for an investigation into FIFA President Gianni Infantino over allegations that he repeatedly violated rules on political neutrality through his support for US President Donald Trump.

The complaint was filed by FairSquare, a nonprofit advocacy organisation, which asked the IOC to examine several instances it says point to breaches of the Olympic Charter and the IOC Code of Ethics. The group questioned Infantino’s conduct in his capacity as an IOC member, a role he has held since 2020, and said the committee has the power to expel members who fail to meet those obligations.

Balogun case cited in complaint

One of the central issues raised by FairSquare concerns the suspension of a one-match ban for United States striker Folarin Balogun ahead of the team’s round of 16 game against Belgium on July 6. Balogun had been shown a straight red card in the 64th minute of the United States’ July 1 match against Bosnia and Herzegovina for a foul on Tarik Muharemovic. The US side went on to win that round of 32 match 2-0 with 10 men, and Balogun was suspended for the following game.

A red card or suspension cannot be appealed. However, FIFA posted a notice on its website on July 5 stating that the automatic suspension would not take immediate effect.

By ​operation of Article 27 FDC, the implementation of the automatic match suspension for USA player Folarin Balogun is suspended for a probationary period of one (1) ​year.

Infantino acknowledged that he had received a call from Trump, who had publicly urged that Balogun be allowed to play, but said he did not intervene in the process. Balogun later featured against Belgium as the US team was knocked out 4-1.

Speaking on the day of that match, Trump said:

All I did was ask for a review because I didn't think it was a foul.

He added:

And, you know, again, I'm good at this stuff. I didn't think it was a foul. I thought it was two great athletes that crashed into each other and got entangled.

Trump also said:

I think ​they made a really brilliant decision. I think the referee's call was horrible and nobody talks about that. They talk about the red ​card like it's fine, nobody talks the referee's decision to red card.

Other allegations listed by FairSquare

FairSquare said the Balogun matter amounted to one serious breach because Infantino may have yielded to pressure from Trump. The organisation also alleged that Infantino promoted a FIFA fan website for the 2026 World Cup that appeared to be part of a data-harvesting campaign run by entities linked to the US president.

The complaint further referred to an Instagram post by Infantino after he attended an event linked to Trump’s presidential inauguration in January 2025. It also cited Infantino’s public endorsement of Trump for the Nobel Prize in October 2025, additional supportive remarks in November, and his presentation of the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize to Trump at the World Cup draw at the Kennedy Center in December.

On its website, FairSquare said there was compelling evidence that Infantino had committed five clear breaches of IOC rules on political neutrality through statements or other clear expressions of support for Trump.

FIFA response and earlier ethics complaint

In a statement published on FIFA’s website on his behalf, Infantino said FIFA’s judicial bodies operate independently.

Their independence ‌is essential ⁠to the credibility and integrity of football, and this must always be respected.

the statement read.

FairSquare said it had also filed a complaint with FIFA’s ethics committee in December. That complaint was backed by the Norwegian football federation, while 50 members of the European Parliament supported the move in separate correspondence dated June 29.

The IOC and FIFA did not respond to requests for comment from multiple media outlets.