IOC rejects Infantino complaint over Trump neutrality claims
The IOC said FairSquare’s complaint against FIFA president Gianni Infantino falls outside its Ethics Commission’s authority.
By Lucas Ferreira · Science & Environment Writer
3 min read
The Infantino IOC complaint brought by human rights group FairSquare has been rejected, with the International Olympic Committee saying its Ethics Commission had no authority to pursue the case. The decision matters because Gianni Infantino is both FIFA president and an IOC member, and the complaint focused on his relationship with US President Donald Trump.
An IOC spokesperson said Friday that the Ethics Commission had reviewed FairSquare’s filing. According to the spokesperson, the issues raised concerned FIFA’s own governance and management, including ties with governments, as well as the way FIFA applies football rules.
The IOC said those subjects are outside the IOC Code of Ethics as applied by its Ethics Commission. The spokesperson said FairSquare had been told that the complaint would not proceed because it fell beyond the commission’s jurisdiction.
What did FairSquare accuse Infantino of?
FairSquare filed its complaint on July 14. The group alleged that Infantino had repeatedly violated the IOC’s political neutrality rules by giving political support to Trump.
The organisation said it planned to pursue the matter over what it called repeated breaches of neutrality rules. FairSquare has also challenged FIFA’s own ethics process, including a complaint submitted last year to FIFA’s Ethics Committee.
In that earlier FIFA complaint, FairSquare alleged that Infantino had publicly supported Trump’s actions and policies on multiple occasions. Infantino has been an IOC member since 2020, which is why FairSquare also brought the issue to the Olympic body.
Why Trump and Infantino drew scrutiny
Infantino’s appearances with Trump have been a central part of FairSquare’s case, according to the group. Their relationship received fresh attention during this year’s World Cup, which was cohosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Trump and Infantino appeared together at the trophy presentation after the World Cup final at New York New Jersey Stadium on July 19. Boos were heard in the stadium as the two men walked onto the field for the ceremony.
Trump also said earlier in the tournament that he had called Infantino to ask him to review a red card shown to US striker Folarin Balogun in a last-32 match against Bosnia and Herzegovina. Balogun had been suspended for the last-16 match against Belgium, but was allowed to play in that game, which the United States lost 4-1.
The US president was also awarded FIFA’s first Peace Prize in December. FIFA gave him the award for his efforts to promote dialogue and de-escalation in major global conflict hotspots.
What the IOC decision means
The IOC decision does not address whether Infantino’s conduct met political neutrality standards. It says the complaint, as framed by FairSquare, concerned FIFA’s decisions and conduct rather than matters the IOC Ethics Commission can police under the IOC Code of Ethics.
That leaves FairSquare’s broader campaign focused on FIFA’s ethics mechanisms and on public pressure over Infantino’s ties to Trump. FIFA’s response to the earlier complaint was not detailed in the IOC statement.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.