FIFA’s ethics committee is being urged to investigate its president, Gianni Infantino, after he awarded Donald Trump a new peace prize at the 2026 World Cup draw in Washington, D.C.
FairSquare, a London-based human rights group, submitted a formal complaint to FIFA’s independent ethics committee this week.
The complaint alleges that Infantino violated the organization’s duty to remain politically neutral by publicly praising Trump and giving him the award.
Highlights
- FIFA’s Ethics Committee is urged to investigate President Gianni Infantino for awarding Donald Trump the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize.
- FairSquare submitted a formal complaint alleging Infantino breached FIFA's duty of political neutrality under Article 15 of the FIFA Code of Ethics.
- Infantino publicly praised Trump multiple times, including advocating for him to receive the Nobel Peace Prize and supporting Trump’s political agenda via social media.
FairSquare submitted a complaint after Gianni Infantino awarded Donald Trump the prize
Image credits: Michael Regan - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images
"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 letter stated, according to BBC Sport.
The group is asking investigators to open a formal case into Infantino’s conduct around the draw and his broader public support for the president.
It comes after Infantino presented Trump with the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize on Friday, December 5, during a televised ceremony at the Kennedy Center in Washington.
It was the final draw for the 2026 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
“This is what we want from a leader: A leader that cares about the people. We want to live in a safe world, in a safe environment,” Infantino said when presenting the award.
Image credits: Jia Haocheng - Pool/Getty Images
“We want to unite – that’s what we do here today, that’s what we’ll do at the (FIFA) World Cup, Mr President.”
“You definitely deserve the first FIFA Peace Prize for your action, for what you have obtained in your way, but you have obtained it in an incredible way,” he added.
“You can always count, Mr President, on my support, on the support of the entire football community – or ‘soccer’ community – to help you make peace and make the world prosper all over the world.”
Trump called the award “one of the great honors” of his life as he accepted the prize.
In its complaint, FairSquare argued that creating and awarding a peace prize to a sitting president crosses a clear line laid out in FIFA’s ethics code.
Image credits: Hector Vivas - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images
Co-founder Nicholas McGeehan shared a snippet of the legal document on Bluesky.
It showed that the group’s complaint points to alleged breaches of Article 15 of the FIFA Code of Ethics, which requires football officials to remain politically neutral in dealing with governments.
It also pointed to four public statements by Infantino in support of Trump.
According to BBC Sport, those statements included Infantino advocating for Trump to receive the Nobel Peace Prize in an Instagram post in October, writing he "definitely deserves" the award.
At the American Business Forum in Miami in November, Infantino also voiced support for the president, saying in an interview, "We should all support what [Trump] is doing [in the U.S.] because I think it's looking pretty good."
FairSquare alleges Infantino breached impartiality rules
"Together we will make not only America great again, but also the entire world," Infantino told his followers in a video.
FairSquare alleged the video "indicates support for President Trump's political agenda.”
According to The Guardian, the complaint also said that it should have been the FIFA council that introduced the prize, under its own statutes.
"The Fifa president does not have the authority to unilaterally dictate the organisation's mission, strategic direction, policies and values,” the letter read.
Image credits: Hector Vivas - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images
In a statement, McGeehan said, “This complaint is about a lot more than Infantino’s support for President Donald Trump’s political agenda.
“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.”
Under FIFA’s code of ethics, confirmed violations of the duty of neutrality can lead to a range of sanctions from a warning to a suspension from all soccer-related activities.