Infantino faces IOC complaint over five 'manifest breaches' of neutrality tied to Trump support and Balogun case

The complaint and its timing

FairSquare, a London-based human rights NGO, announced on Tuesday 14 July 2026 that it had filed a formal complaint with the International Olympic Committee's ethics commission against Gianni Infantino. The complaint alleges that Infantino, an IOC member since 10 January 2020, committed "five manifest violations" of the Olympic Charter and IOC Code of Ethics between January 2025 and February 2026, all linked to expressions of political support for US president Donald Trump.

Gianni Infantino was elected a member of the International Olympic Committee on 10 January 2020 and is bound by the strict political neutrality rules set out in the Olympic Charter and the IOC Code of Ethics.

This is not the first complaint FairSquare has filed against Infantino. In December 2025, the organisation submitted a similar complaint to the FIFA Ethics Committee, which acknowledged receipt but provided no further response. On 1 June, the Norwegian football federation sent a letter urging the committee to examine that complaint, and on 29 June, fifty members of the European Parliament did the same.

Five alleged violations before the World Cup

The complaint catalogues a series of public actions beginning in January 2025. Infantino thanked Trump for inviting him to the eve of his inauguration as the 47th US president, a presence that FairSquare says "shows support for President Trump's political agenda." Two weeks later, Infantino posted on Instagram that "President Donald Trump undeniably deserves the Nobel Peace Prize for his defensive actions."

President Donald Trump undeniably deserves the Nobel Peace Prize for his defensive actions.

The most prominent pre-tournament incident occurred on 5 December 2025, during the 2026 World Cup draw. Trump received the first FIFA Peace Prize from Infantino's hands, and Infantino stated in person: "You undoubtedly deserve this first FIFA Peace Prize for your actions and for what you have achieved in your own way. You have achieved incredible results and you can always count, Mr. President, on my support."

The complaint also notes Infantino's presence at a peace summit in Egypt in October 2025 alongside Trump. The IOC had already reviewed that episode and ruled in February 2026 that Infantino did not violate the Olympic Charter on political neutrality.

The Balogun case at the 2026 World Cup

FairSquare identifies "two other serious violations" during the 2026 men's World Cup. The first concerns the disciplinary case of US striker Folarin Balogun. Balogun was suspended after receiving a straight red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the round of 32, which would have ruled him out of the round-of-16 match against Belgium. He was ultimately allowed to play (Belgium won 4-1).

President Trump publicly boasted that he had called Infantino to request a review of the red card. Infantino later declared that Trump's phone call had no influence on the decision, which he said was taken by FIFA's independent disciplinary committee. The Times subsequently reported that Mohammad Al Kamali, chair of FIFA's disciplinary committee, made the decision alone. FIFA itself offered no explanation for reversing the suspension.

I called Gianni Infantino to review the red card.

FairSquare characterises the episode as a "possible acceptance of political pressure exerted by President Trump aimed at circumventing FIFA's disciplinary rules on the pitch." In its complaint, the organisation reports seven separate violations of IOC political neutrality rules within the Balogun affair alone.

The data-collection allegation

The second additional violation cited by FairSquare involves Infantino promoting a FIFA fan website for the 2026 men's World Cup. The NGO alleges this formed part of a data-collection campaign conducted by entities linked to President Trump. The complaint describes this as a serious breach, though public details remain limited.

Possible consequences and IOC precedent

The IOC can expel members who fail to meet their obligations under the Olympic Charter. FairSquare noted that the complaint provides both strong evidence of five clear violations and preliminary evidence of two more. This is the second time the IOC has received a complaint about Infantino. The previous one, concerning the October 2025 Egypt peace summit, was dismissed in February 2026 with a finding of no breach.

FairSquare stated that the FIFA Ethics Committee complaint from December 2025 remains unresolved despite the Norwegian federation's 1 June letter and the 29 June letter from fifty MEPs. The organisation now awaits a response from the IOC's ethics commission.