FIFA President Gianni Infantino will not face an investigation by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) regarding allegations he breached Olympic neutrality rules through his dealings with former United States President Donald Trump. The human rights organisation FairSquare had lodged a formal complaint with the IOC earlier this month, drawing attention to FIFA's decision to postpone a World Cup suspension for US striker Folarin Balogun. This deferral reportedly followed a personal request from President Trump to Infantino to review the red card decision.
Despite Infantino holding a position as an IOC member, a spokesperson for the committee confirmed that its ethics commission concluded it lacked the necessary jurisdiction. The commission stated that the complaint primarily concerned FIFA's internal decisions and governance, which fall outside the scope of the IOC Code of Ethics. "The IOC ethics commission thoroughly analysed the complaint by FairSquare," the spokesperson noted, clarifying that the code's application to international federations and their officials is specifically limited to their relations with the IOC.
FairSquare has strongly criticised the IOC's decision, labelling it "absurd." The organisation highlighted the perceived inconsistency, stating that "The IOC’s commitment to political neutrality is as rigorous as FIFA’s." This outcome, FairSquare believes, will only intensify calls for comprehensive regulation of sports governing bodies, arguing that they demonstrate an inability to enforce their own rules consistently or impartially.
Separately, FairSquare submitted a complaint concerning Infantino to the investigatory chamber of FIFA’s ethics committee last December. This earlier complaint detailed four instances where FairSquare alleged Infantino publicly supported President Trump's actions and policies. It also requested an investigation into Infantino’s role in the creation of a FIFA Peace Prize and its awarding to President Trump at the 2026 World Cup draw, questioning the conformity of these processes with FIFA’s procedural rules. FairSquare confirmed receiving an acknowledgement for this complaint, but no further updates.
The controversy surrounding the Balogun affair intensified after FIFA’s disciplinary committee announced on 5 July that the automatic one-match ban for the Monaco forward had been suspended. The following day, President Trump publicly disclosed that he had personally lobbied Infantino to review the decision. Infantino has maintained that FIFA’s committees act independently, but no specific explanation has been provided by the disciplinary committee regarding the circumstances that led to the deferral of Balogun's ban. Reports from The Times suggest the committee chair, Mohammad Al Kamali, made the decision unilaterally. UEFA has also voiced strong disapproval, with its president Aleksander Ceferin reportedly boycotting a recent final in protest over the Balogun decision and broader concerns about FIFA's governance.