IOC says it lacks jurisdiction to probe FIFA chief Infantino over alleged political interference
The International Olympic Committee declined to investigate a complaint that FIFA president Gianni Infantino violated Olympic neutrality rules in his interactions with U.S. President Donald Trump, citing lack of jurisdiction.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced that it will not investigate a complaint filed by human-rights group FairSquare alleging that FIFA president Gianni Infantino breached Olympic rules on political neutrality in his dealings with U.S. President Donald Trump. FairSquare’s complaint referenced FIFA’s decision to defer a one-match suspension for U.S. striker Folarin Balogun after Trump reportedly asked Infantino to review the red-card ruling.
An IOC spokesperson said the ethics commission determined the matter falls outside its remit because it concerns FIFA’s internal governance, which the Olympic Charter reserves to each international federation. > "The IOC ethics commission thoroughly analysed the complaint by FairSquare," the spokesperson said, adding that the commission found the complaint related only to FIFA’s decisions on governance and sport-rule implementation, which are beyond the scope of the IOC Code of Ethics.
The IOC said it will continue efforts to improve governance across the Olympic Movement and clarify the roles and responsibilities of its member organisations. FairSquare was notified of the decision and has not provided further comment.
FairSquare also lodged a separate complaint with FIFA’s ethics committee in December, alleging four instances where Infantino expressed public support for Trump’s policies and requesting an investigation into the creation and awarding of a FIFA Peace Prize to Trump at the 2026 World Cup draw. FIFA’s ethics committee acknowledged receipt of that complaint but has not issued further updates.
The Balogun case drew criticism from UEFA, which called the decision to suspend the ban "unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable" and noted that its president, Aleksander Ceferin, reportedly abstained from attending a recent final in protest. The FIFA disciplinary committee later suspended the automatic ban, and Trump publicly said he had lobbied Infantino to review the sanction. Infantino maintained that FIFA’s committees acted independently, though details of the decision-making process have not been disclosed.