Political bias claims rock FIFA as Infantino faces scrutiny

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has received a complaint asking it to investigate FIFA President Gianni Infantino over claims that he violated rules on political neutrality by supporting U.S. President Donald Trump.

The complaint was filed by FairSquare, a non profit advocacy group. It claims Infantino may have influenced the lifting of a one match suspension on United States striker Folarin Balogun, allowing him to play in the team’s Round of 16 World Cup match against Belgium on July 6.

Balogun had been sent off with a red card during the United States’ 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina on July 1 after a challenge on Tarik Muharemovic. The red card automatically ruled him out of the next match.

However, on July 5, FIFA announced that the suspension had been put on hold for a one year probation period under Article 27 of its disciplinary code. This allowed Balogun to play against Belgium, where the United States lost 4-1.

Trump had publicly argued that Balogun should be allowed to play, saying the incident was not a foul. He later said he requested a review of the decision and praised FIFA for overturning the suspension.

Infantino confirmed that Trump contacted him about the issue but insisted he did not interfere with the decision. According to a statement published by FIFA, Infantino said the organisation’s judicial committees operate independently and their decisions must be respected.

FairSquare argues that the situation raises questions about Infantino’s neutrality and integrity. The group noted that Infantino has been a member of the IOC since 2020 and is expected to follow the Olympic Charter and IOC Code of Ethics.

The complaint also cites several other incidents that FairSquare believes show support for Trump. These include Infantino promoting a FIFA World Cup fan website allegedly linked to a data collection campaign connected to Trump allies, posting supportive messages after attending an event linked to Trump’s inauguration in January 2025, publicly backing Trump for the Nobel Prize in October 2025, and presenting him with FIFA’s first Peace Prize in December 2025.

FairSquare said these actions amount to multiple breaches of IOC rules on political neutrality.

A group previously filed a complaint wpith FIFA’s ethics committee in l. That complaint was backed by the Norwegian Football Federation and 50 members of the European Parliament in a separate letter sent on June 29.

The IOC and FIFA have not yet responded to requests for comment.