House Democrat opens investigation into FIFA president Gianni Infantino over Trump ties
Jamie Raskin demands documents, visitor logs, and a transcribed interview by 9 August, citing a peace prize, a Trump Tower office, and the lifting of a US striker's suspension.
The investigation
Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, sent a letter to FIFA president Gianni Infantino on Sunday demanding documents, communications, and visitor logs related to contacts with Donald Trump, his administration, and the Trump Organization. The committee also requested that Infantino sit for a transcribed interview. Raskin set a deadline of 9 August for the materials and scheduling. The letter asks for a list of all gifts, payments, or benefits provided to Trump and his associates, as well as records of visits to FIFA's offices in Miami and New York.
[Y]our election as Fifa president was supposed to mark a red-card break from a decades-long culture of corruption and scandals that dressed down world soccer's reputation. Instead, at the start of your tenure, you dismantled Fifa's ethical guardrails and disabled the organization's ethics committee by pushing out most of its members.
Raskin does not currently have the power to compel Infantino's appearance because Democrats lack a majority in the House. If the party wins control in November's midterm elections, Raskin could become committee chair and his investigations would carry greater weight. An anonymous Democratic source told the New York Times that today's questions could later turn into formal investigations.
Controversies during the World Cup
Infantino's relationship with Trump drew scrutiny in the run-up to the 2026 World Cup. At the draw in Washington last December, FIFA awarded Trump a newly created peace prize at the Kennedy Center. The Guardian reported that renovations at the venue were allegedly rushed on the administration's orders to prepare for the event. In July 2025, FIFA opened an office in Trump Tower in midtown Manhattan, a lease that Raskin noted could cost around $600,000 a year at market rates.
Together with the "hilariously bogus" peace prize, this gives the impression that FIFA is hoping this will prompt Trump and his administration to make decisions in favour of the world governing body.
During the tournament, Trump made several calls to Infantino to lobby for a review of US striker Folarin Balogun's controversial red-card suspension before the Americans' round of 16 match against Belgium. FIFA reversed the ban, a move that drew anger from other teams and federations. Infantino and Trump later watched the final together in a glassed-in luxury section and were booed by the crowd at New York New Jersey Stadium when they entered the field for the trophy presentation after Spain beat Argentina.
- FIFA opens office in Trump Tower, New York
- Trump awarded newly created FIFA peace prize at World Cup draw in Washington
- Trump calls Infantino to lobby for review of Balogun's red-card suspension
- FIFA lifts Balogun's ban; US plays Belgium in round of 16
- Infantino and Trump booed at World Cup final in New York New Jersey Stadium
- Raskin sends letter demanding documents and interview by 9 August
Political and legal context
Raskin's letter also references the Department of Justice's decision to dismiss indictments in US government investigations into global soccer corruption, including the 2015 prosecution of more than 20 high-level FIFA officials and sports-marketing executives. The congressman questioned whether there had been conflicts of interest or reciprocal favours between FIFA and the US government. A New York University law professor described FIFA's practices as "legal bribery," according to the SAPO report.
Infantino responded on Instagram, denouncing critics for spreading hate and false narratives and calling the World Cup a success. The letter further demands all communications between FIFA and the US government regarding World Cup ticket prices, which have been widely criticised as exorbitant and are already under investigation by several state attorneys general.
What happens next
Infantino is not legally obliged to comply with the request, and the letter is not a formal subpoena. Without Republican support, Raskin cannot force the FIFA president to appear. The Swiss-Italian official has until 9 August to provide the documents and schedule the interview. The interactions between FIFA and the US government are expected to continue: the US is set to be the primary host of the 2031 Women's World Cup, and the success of this summer's tournament has fuelled speculation that the 2038 men's World Cup could also be held in the United States.
